


Soulless

by EmeraldWaves



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: ABO, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Animal Ears and Tails, Fantasy AU, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Rituals, Other characters will probably show up too tbh, Some angst, Viktor and Yuuri show up later, all characters are 18+, otayuri - Freeform, shapeshifter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 15:43:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 52,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9332057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves/pseuds/EmeraldWaves
Summary: When Otabek Altin turns 18, his soul ritual doesn't exactly go as planned. Two years later, Yuri Plisetsky's doesn't either. Together, the two set out to find a way to fix, what they believe, went wrong. *Completed*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ~Prologue~

They had told him it would be warm, like the first rays of the summer sun kissing his skin in the morning. Energy would flow through his veins, and then he would be able to shift into whatever animal chose to grace him with its soul.

This is what he had expected to happen. But it didn't.

Instead, he felt the same, and a breeze flew through his hair, sending a shiver down his spine. It was cold, freezing actually. He supposed that's what he got for being born so late in the fall.

Directly in front of him, the council whispered, murmurings about what could have gone wrong.

_"I've never heard of this happening."_

_"It...It shouldn't be possible."_

_"We did complete the ritual..."_

_"Is there...really nothing?"_

He wasn't sure what the point of them whispering was, he could hear every word that fell from their lips in hushed breaths. And though they seemed to have no idea what it all meant, he knew.

Otabek Altin was Soulless.

There was a deadly silence, the air flat and heavy as he waited for them to tell him what he already knew. Yakov cleared his throat and stepped forward, out of line from the rest of the elders.

"Otabek Altin, we have completed the Soul Ritual, and it seems that no animal has chosen to gift you with it's soul. It is a rare occurrence, and not something we often speak on since it is so rare, but this is the path you have to follow."

Otabek swallowed. There were so many questions he was desperate to ask. Couldn't they try again? There had to be some mistake. Was it their fault? Was it his? What did he do now? But all he could do was nod and let them lead him out of the main hall.

The worst was knowing he'd have to face his mother. With each step he took out of the hall, he felt his feet grow heavier and heavier. She had been so excited to send him off. She’d hugged him and promised he would get the perfect animal, something powerful and full of strength. Nature would know what suited him best, of course, but she had believed her son had grown into a strong young man. _He_ had never cared much about the ritual. Any animal would’ve been fine, in his opinion. Perhaps that was where he had gone wrong.

And so he'd emerged from the ritual empty. What did that mean exactly? Obviously, he wasn't as a strong as she had initially thought. 

"Otabek!" She ran towards him. He hated how warm her hands felt as she cupped his cheeks, her thumbs rubbing over his freezing cheeks. Her dark eyes met his glossy brown hues, and he could tell she knew things weren't right immediately. "What happened?" she whispered.

He closed his eyes, taking a sharp breath in, the cold stinging his lungs and drying out his throat. How could he tell her? And besides, she had to notice he didn’t have any sort of ears or tail now, nothing to represent who he was. She would be disappointed, who wouldn't be? The Soul Ritual was meant to be one of the greatest moments in a person's life, it brought them into adulthood and shaped the direction their life was supposed to take. How could he tell his own mother he was Soulless?

"Otabek, please, speak to me," she urged. He raised his hands to hers, squeezing them hard, still unable to open his eyes. "You can tell me. Whatever soul you received, I'm sure it's wonderful."

"I didn't receive a soul," he said quietly, his words a soft mumble. "I'm Soulless." Her silence was heart-shattering, disappointment seeping over him, as it sunk into his skin.

"S-Soulless?" she asked, her voice catching in her throat, her ears twitching with confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what you think it means," he said, biting down on his lip.

She had said she didn't care, but Otabek had a difficult time believing her. He couldn't stand the way she looked at him, how everyone looked at him afterwards. Their eyes always shimmered with such sadness, and sympathy, as though he were the most pathetic creature they’d ever witnessed.

News had spread fast in their village. It wasn't as though he could hide it. His 18th birthday had passed, and of course everyone felt the pressing need to ask him what his Soul Animal was. He always answered flatly, the words no longer affecting him as they had in the past. He’d grown accustomed to the way people looked at him, to the things they whispered when he walked by.

_"He's the Soulless one."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"He can't shift!"_

_"At all?"_

_"No!"_

_"How tragic..."_

_"He must be cursed."_

Cursed. It was a word they threw around often. He was so tainted by something awful, no animal had wanted to go near him during his Soul Ritual. Maybe they were right? No matter how hard he had looked, he had been unable to find any information on what it meant to be Soulless, and for awhile he'd been quite determined. Besides the obvious inability to shift, all he knew was that he wouldn't be able to participate in the monthly shifting gatherings, nor would he be able to participate in any sort of mating ceremonies either. However, since he could only assume he was a Beta, he wouldn’t be participating in those sorts of things anyway.

It was such a rare thing, according to the elders. In fact, Otabek was almost certain none of them had encountered anyone like him before.

"I think it means you're special," his mother said. "And there aren’t many Betas left you know!" After the first month or so, she had attempted to give up on her sympathetic gazes, and turned them into more determined ones. He could only assume she felt she had to be strong for her son, though he could tell she still harbored a sadness deep inside of her. Of course she wished for her son to be normal, and while he didn't like to admit it out loud, he was also disappointed. The rest of his life would be like this, whether he wanted it to be or not. Fate had dealt him this hand and he had to live with it.

"Mm," he grunted softly in reply. He did his best to keep to himself; tucked the feelings deep down inside of himself.

He had chosen to stay with his mother, helping her around their flower shop. Eventually he moved to the backroom, working on arrangements for her, as people gossiped and questioned the legitimacy of his mother and their business, thanks to him. It was as if being Soulless meant everything he touched was tainted and ruined; like it was some sort of disease he could spread.

His mother had the soul of a lamb, which suited her, he thought. She was gentle, cared for the people around her. His father had had the soul of a wolf, which had been quite the strange pair, but his parents had been so in love no one had questioned the oddity of their animal compatibility. They only spoke of how sad it was that he had died so young. His mother didn't deserve anymore hardships, and having a Soulless son, wasn't helping her business do well.

Otabek had considered leaving, many times. It would help his mother's business, and the village would stop talking about them, about her. But he knew it would break her heart even more, to be completely alone.

Staying was the choice he had made. He had accepted his fate. However, he didn't believe he was actually tainted, or anything extreme. There had to be some other reason, even if it wasn't clear to him currently. One day, maybe he would be able to discover the reason he was Soulless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first OtaYuri fic! I'm super excited to share it with everyone, cause I love AUs and this pairing/YOI so so much! I hope everyone enjoys this fic. It's not going to be SUPER long I don't think. Of course I say that but who knows really. I do have some of this fic pre-written, so wanna try and update regularly, schedule permitting, so thank you for reading (and enjoying hopefully) this prologue!! Super thanks to Adriana, Aka and Robyn for reading this ahead of time!


	2. Chapter 2

_2 years later_

"It's going to be a tiger! Or maybe a leopard...or a LION. No, No, definitely a fucking TIGER!" Yuri declared, his feet stomping through the melting snow. Spring was soon to be upon the village, and Yuri Plisetsky had just turned 18.

"Language, Yurochka," his grandfather scolded. Walking beside him, the elder man had to swallow his chuckle. "I know you're nervous."

"What's there to be nervous about? I'm excited!" he scoffed. "I've been ready for this day for years!" he exclaimed. "It's gonna be a tiger," he said, nodding his head as though he had finally made the official decision.

"I don't want you to be disappointed if it's not," he said gently.

"Why would it not be!? Don't be ridiculous. Of course it's gonna be a tiger," Yuri grinned widely.

"But you don't get to decide," he continued.

Rolling his eyes, Yuri shook his head. "I know I don't, but I can just _feel_ it!" he growled, looking even more determined. "And both my parents are cats," he said. " _You're_ a snow leopard!" He gestured towards the snow white ears peering through his grandfather's hat.

"This is true, but it wouldn't be the first time something unexpected happened during the Soul Ritual," his grandfather sighed, knowing trying to convince Yuri otherwise would be next to impossible.

Yuri scoffed, standing by the entrance to the Room of Elders. "Don't worry about it. I'll come out a completely new person, ready to face adulthood! An Alpha big cat!" He smiled widely, waving as he left his grandfather behind.

His heart throbbed in his chest, palpating with excitement. He'd dreamed about his Soul Ritual for so long. He couldn't wait to see what it felt like to have the ability to be as strong and fearsome as a tiger, or leopard. Hell, he would've been satisfied with being a cheetah, with amazing agility.

He didn't know what to expect when it came to the ceremony admittedly. All his parents could tell him was how it would feel, warm and right, as though his body had found what it had been missing all this time.

He came from a long line of various felines. His mother was a panther, and it was no surprised when his father had received the soul of leopard, similar to his own father's snow leopard. He'd seen his parents shift on occasion, lying in the grass as large cats, their tails intertwined. He'd seen them leave for a hunt, his father powerful and strong.

Frankly, he _wasn't_ concerned, he already knew what he was missing. Ever since he had been small, he had eagerly awaited the ceremony, ready to join his parents and his family. There was no way he wouldn't be some form of cat. He truly hoped he was a tiger, though he had a feeling he would be a leopard, since so many in his family were.

"Yuri Plisetsky, welcome." Yakov's voice was deep, with a hint of exhaustion hidden under his booming tone. "Please step forward to the middle of the room, and we will begin the ceremony," he explained.

Yuri's eyes widened. He was surprised they jumped right into it, though he had heard it wasn't something that took a very a long time, and with each step forward his excitement grew. He was finally 18, he was finally an adult, and he would finally have his Soul Animal.

Stepping into the middle of the room, he stood directly in the large circle of animals painted onto the floor. Bears, wolves, large cats, lizards, birds, fish, rodents, any animal he could fathom was weaved into the large circle. In front of him sat five large wooden chairs, almost throne-like, one for each elder. On the top of each was carved their own specific Soul Animal. Yakov's black bear was the largest and placed in the middle of the five.

"There's no need to be nervous," Yakov began, his voice monotone, and Yuri knew the man must've given the same speech a million times over his lifetime.

"I'm not!" Yuri scoffed, looking determined. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time!"

"Of course," Yakov muttered, though his facial expression hadn't changed. "Then we shall begin. While we go through the ceremony, you will not speak and you will keep your eyes shut. When the animal chooses you, you will probably feel a bit strange, perhaps woozy and hot and you will be forced to shift into whatever animal chooses you. Once you've shifted, you will have the ability to shift whenever you please."

"Right," he nodded. He didn't need to hear the explanation, and was growing impatient.

"Let us begin then," Yakov nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Yuri closed his eyes and leaned his head down, his blond hair brushing against his cheeks. He clenched his fists, their chanting winding into his ear. It was a language he didn't recognize, an ancient tongue he assumed, something only taught to the elders to perform this ceremony. The words almost sounded like a gentle singing, and he was surprised by how light the voices were.

His arms tingled and his body burned with an unfathomable heat as the words grew louder, engulfing him in the sound. His bones felt as though they were on fire, buried under his skin, impossible to reach. He couldn't focus on anything but the loud noises, singing in unison around him, the world completely dark around him.

_Yuri Plisetsky_

A voice arose above the chanting and Yuri felt his breath hitch and stop. He couldn't place where exactly the voice was coming from, between the loudness of the tone and the chanting, and with his eyes close it was impossible to look around, though moving seemed impossible as well.

_Passionate, immature, a bit grouchy, proud, an adult, but still has much growing to do._

He opened his mouth to retort, but he found he couldn't make any noise, air still not flowing into his lungs. He quickly slammed his lips shut when he realized he wasn't supposed to be speaking anyway.

_You come from a line of proud line of felines. We know exactly what to do with you._

Under his skin, his bones continued to burn, scorching hot, and it felt as though they were contorting and changing shape. He opened his mouth once again, to scream in pain, his body twisting around itself. However as air began to return to his lungs, he could feel the wind and breeze flow through his hair and the heat began to cool down, his skin prickling with a warm comfort, as though, like everyone had said, his body had been waiting for this moment his entire life.

The chanting slowed to a murmur, barely audible at this point, and as the voices came to stop, Yakov's voice arose loud, speaking the language Yuri had been familiar with his entire life.

"You have completed the Soul Ritual, you maybe open your eyes and shift back."

Slowly, Yuri opened his eyes. Things seemed far above him now, Yakov and his chair sitting high in front of him. He glanced down and saw two smaller yellow paws, cat-like, which made sense, though he had expected things to be a bit...bigger? What kind of cat was he?

Panic rushed through his body as he wondered how exactly he was supposed to shift back. No one had explained that part to him, and he had expected it was something he would know automatically upon assuming the form of his Soul Animal. Letting out a large mewl, he was surprised by how tiny his voice sounded in this form. Shaking out his body, he shut his eyes, imagining what his human form looked like, as he shifted back.

"Congratulations Yuri," Yakov said. "You've completed the ceremony."

Reaching up to his head, he could feel his pointed ears, and glancing behind him, he noted how long and...fluffy his tail was. That wasn't right? Most large cats had long, sleek looking tails.

"What...kind of cat am I exactly?" he asked, staring at the elders.

"A Domestic Cat," Yakov nodded. "A Maine Coon I believe. Your fur is the same color as your hair, and it seems you've also presented as an Omega. Quite rare to see a male Omega, you should be proud."

Domestic? Omega?

"Excuse me?" Yuri asked. "Did you say domestic and Omega?"

"Yes. A Domestic cat."

Yuri's jaw dropped open. There was absolutely no way. This couldn't be happening. He wasn't supposed to be some tiny...Omega cat! He was supposed to be a strong Alpha leopard, tiger, lion, hell, even a fucking cheetah! Not...a domestic cat! "There has to be some sort of mistake!" He yelled without thinking. "Can we do it again?!"

The elders all opened their eyes wide, and Yakov stepped forward angrily. "Yuri Plisetsky. We would ask you to please be more respectful of this ceremony. There is no changing what you have received. This is what you have been gifted with and you should be grateful you received a Soul Animal. All animals choose their person for a reason and I'm sure you will discover yours soon. We would ask you to please return home and reflect on this," Yakov grunted. "Never have I seen such disrespect." He rubbed his forehead, shaking his head back and forth, as though he were completely exhausted now.

Yuri's eyebrow twitched, and he turned on his heel storming out of the ceremony hall. There had to be a mistake. This had to be some weird dream, he'd wake up and go back to complete the actual ceremony later. Then, he'd end up as a leopard, or tiger, or lion, or _something_ that wasn’t a fucking domestic house cat!

"Yurochka!" His grandfather stood at the entrance, and Yuri's footprints stormed through the wet grass.

"Leave me alone!" he snapped, walking by him, his fluffy tail swinging back and forth behind him.

"What happened?" he said, walking behind him as fast as he could, but Yuri was far faster than him.

"I don't...want...to talk about it!" he growled, turning his gait into a run as he dashed as far away from his grandfather.

"Whatever happened, we won't care! Yurochka! Come back!" he called after him.

How could he face them now? He'd been bragging for days about how he was going to be the strongest Alpha cat their family had ever seen...and now....he was a pathetic Omega Domestic cat. He heard his grandfather's voice, but Yuri couldn't stop running.

~~

There was an area by the river where a few trees lined the riverbed where Otabek enjoyed spending his free time. He'd bring a book, and sit under the shade of the tree. No one usually went there, so it was the perfect place for him to escape from the gazes of the other townsfolk.

It had been two years since he'd been labelled as Soulless, and the townsfolk had yet to let it go. They still stared at him, and occasionally asked that oh-so wonderful question: "How are you doing?", always paired with the most sympathetic look a stranger could muster. He was doing fine, actually he would've been doing better if people would stop asking him how he was doing.

So on his days off, he preferred to be as far away from people as possible, hence the private area on the river. Today, he sat on the new grass, appearing after the snow had melted. The ground was a tad damp, but Otabek had missed being outside during the winter months, so he was pleased to have a warm enough day finally.

It was peaceful, quiet, and a spring breeze blew around his hair. Sighing, he opened the book, ready to read. It was the perfect, picturesque setting.

Or it would've been, if some loud boy hadn't come running through the grass. His feet sloshed against the ground, and he stopped short against the riverbank, his fluffy tail standing on end as he tried to catch himself.

"Shit!" he yelled loudly, and flailed his arms around as he fell forward, crashing into the river with a loud splash.

Leaning forward, Otabek peered over some of the taller grass to see the boy push himself up, water dripping from his ears and long blond hair. He spit out a large mouthful of water, and ran his hand down his face, tossing a few droplets into the shallow river.

"This fucking sucks!!" he screamed, smashing his fist into the water, which resulted in _more_ water splashing up against his face. He sat for a moment, letting the river rush around his body before crawling back onto the land, and flopping onto his back, panting heavily.

Otabek sighed. These loud, dramatic types weren't usually the type of people he enjoyed spending time with, but the boy had taken quite the plunge, and Otabek thought it would be rude to not check to see if he had been hurt in anyway.

He pushed himself up and maneuvered through the tall grass. Leaning over the boy lying down, Otabek cleared his throat. "You okay?"

The blond's eyes shot open, and let out a long growl. "What the hell!?" he yelled and shot up, rolling out of the way. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?!" he said, gesturing wildly, though his face was flushed a bright red.

Otabek let out a long sigh. "I could say the same to you. I'm not the one who just ran straight into a river."

"S-Shut up! I didn't see it there!" The blond's face was partially covered by his hair, and he quickly turned his gaze away, not wanting to look Otabek in the eye.

He wanted to argue that the river was fairly large, so not seeing it didn't seem like a good excuse, but he didn't feel like getting into it. He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, are you okay or not?"

The boy's green eyes met his dark ones, unable to respond immediately, and the two locked eyes. Admittedly, Otabek couldn't help but find the boy to be quite beautiful. His blond hair, though wet, was long and framed his pale face nicely. His green eyes were filled with frustration and rage, but they shimmered against the puddles of melted snow on the ground. Otabek was sure he had seen him before, but he'd been avoiding people in the town for so long, he couldn't place a name to the blond's lovely face unfortunately.

The blond's brow furrowed, and he clenched his fists tightly. "Okay?! Do I _look_ like I'm okay?!" he snarled.

Otabek glanced up and down at the boy in front of him. He didn't look injured, but maybe he was in more pain than he was letting on. "You look wet," Otabek stated.

"I _am_ wet! And this whole _stupid_ day has gone completely wrong! When I turned 18 I was supposed to become the best alpha cat my family has ever seen! A tiger! A lion! Anything but...but...THIS!" he snapped.

It was really too bad the blond looked so damn angry, the wrinkles on his forehead and upturned frown.

Otabek stared blankly, not having any clue what the blond was talking about, though he was starting to have an idea that this maybe had to do with the boy's Soul Ritual going wrong, something he was quite familiar with himself.

"I don't know why the fuck I told you that, I don't even know you and you don't even know me!" He ran his hands down his face as he shook out his hair and tail once he had stood up. "Fuck," he repeated, biting his lip as tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm a disgrace."

Otabek glanced around, seeing if anyone had been following this boy, or if he was all alone. It was a bit strange the way he had stumbled into Otabek, especially this far away from town. If something had gone wrong with his Soul Ritual, Otabek could sympathize, though he wasn't sure if the boy needed to run away. He obviously had gotten some animal, as indicated by his ears and fluffy blond tail.

Sighing, Otabek walked back to the tree and picked up the towel he's been sitting on, making his way back to the frustrated blond. "Here. It's a little damp. But dryer than you." He placed the towel on top of the blond's head.

His thin fingers trembled as he reached up to slowly pull the towel down, wrapping it around his shoulders. "Fuck," he muttered again.

"Uh, do you need...help?" Otabek asked finally, breaking an awkward silence between the two of them.

"Can you help me redo my Soul Ritual?! No one can help me!" he growled. "And my family and everyone I said anything to about this is going to think I'm a...a complete moron!"

Otabek wasn't sure how this boy could possibly be a moron if he had an animal. Clearing his throat, he stepped forward and gave a gentle tug on his cat ear. "You have an animal. How can you be a moron?"

The blond jumped back and frowned harder. "I'm not supposed to be a simple...housecat! I was supposed to be a tiger or a lion! Or at the very least a leopard!" he said, trying to catch his breath the louder he yelled. "Of course I got a freaking animal! Everyone gets an animal!"

Ah. Now Otabek knew. The blond was Yuri Plisetsky. Their only son. All of the Plisetskys were some variation of cats, usually bigger ones, so it was shocking to see their son was a domestic cat. Still, he was incredibly beautiful nonetheless.

Swallowing, Otabek pursed his lips. Apparently Yuri had no idea who he was, which while it was refreshing in a way, it also stung; a sharp reminder of his own failure. He was tempted to let it go, but there was an angry part of him which wanted the boy to see he was lucky to have received a Soul Animal at all. He couldn't imagine being this mad even if he had gotten an animal he didn’t expect. Some people were disappointed, or surprised, but never this outwardly upset.

"That's not true," he stated, staring at him.

"What isn't?!"

"Not everyone gets an animal," he stated flatly

Yuri scoffed, and his blond hair flipped to the side with the movement of his head. "Of course everyone does!"

He felt as his heart began to race. Did Yuri really have no clue who he was? Did he really not know it was possible to not receive a soul? No. Everyone knew, everyone had talked about it, he could still hear their whispers and see their stares

"I didn't." Otabek spoke quietly, admitting something he was sure Yuri had simply forgotten.

~~

He had tried to focus as he ran through the woods, but a million thoughts had been running through his mind, and all he wanted was to get away. Of course Yuri’s genius plan, had led to him being soaking wet, and forced to speak to a rather intense looking guy. The asshole didn't understand Yuri's problem. No one would understand, no one _could_ understand.

And who the hell did this guy think he was?! Claiming there were people who didn't receive Soul Animals...it almost seemed like some kind of sick prank, until...

"I didn't."

Yuri froze, the words hanging on the warm breeze as he attempted to process them. The guy was attractive, dark hair, dark eyes, somewhat mysterious, it was hard not to look at him and find him interesting, or so Yuri had thought upon a first glance.

His ears folded back, as he analyzed him more. He stared at him again, noting he had no qualities of any animal. No ears. No tail. Nothing of the sort.

"Wait...what?" he blurted out. "You don't have a tail...or..." He closed his eyes, taking in the other's scent, or attempting to. It was bland, flat, very much that of a Beta. "...How?" he whispered. His voice quiet for the first time since he's met this dark-haired stranger.

The dark-haired male shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't get one. Soulless, they call it."

Yuri's eyes widened. Of course. He had heard of this boy. He was the one everyone had talked about for awhile right after his Soul Ritual had happened, or...not happened. Yuri had never met the guy, nor had he seen him, so it had never been something he'd thought or cared much about. Actually, he hadn't even been sure it was true at the time. However, seeing him now, he was shocked to see it was the truth.

"You're...Otabek? Otabek Altin?" he asked, the name coming to him the longer he stared.

He nodded. "Yup."

Yuri felt guilt rush over him. Being a house cat sucked, yes, but it wasn't the worst thing that could've happened. Not at all.

"I'm sorry you didn't get the animal you wanted," Otabek continued finally. "Keep the towel," he said. Walking towards the large tree, he knelt down and picked up a book.

"Uh...thanks," Yuri said awkwardly, tugging the warm towel around his shoulders harder. "And hey! Uh...I'm sorry about all this shit," he muttered, rubbing his arms. "Look! I'm...Yuri Plisetsky...and normally my family, we're all cats. Big cats. Wild cats...not...this," he explained quickly, stopping Otabek in his tracks.

"I know," he said, turning to face him once more.

"You do?!" Yuri snapped. "How the hell-"

"Your family is famous for their feline lineage," Otabek said flatly, cutting Yuri off before he could grow anymore angry.

"Well...yeah!" he continued yelling anyway. "That's why it sucks! I'm sure they're going to be disappointed! And fuck, it wasn't supposed to go this way!" He groaned. "But...sorry. I didn't realize you were...you, and...I'm sure that sucks a whole lot more," he said, rubbing a piece of his hair.

"It's fine," he shrugged, his facial expression unchanging, Yuri wasn't sure he believed him.

He knew it would be inappropriate to ask Otabek any questions about it, but questions kept floating around in his mind. He wondered if it was really as terrible as he imagined. He'd spent the past 18 years excited and desperate for his Soul Ritual. And though it hadn't gone exactly the way he planned, it still felt good to be connected, as though he were complete now. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to _not_ have a Soul.

Yuri imagined it would feel empty, so incredibly empty. He could recall the way his parents had talked about the subject, as though it were a dark and taboo matter. He was sure others around town had done the same. Maybe that was why he could barely remember Otabek, surely the other boy hid himself away as much as he could. No wonder he had been reading on the outskirts of town. This was probably a place where the older didn't expect to see many people. Yuri almost felt bad for interrupting him. Almost.

"Anyway, I'm sure your parents won't actually care. They'll be happy you're normal. Go home, Yuri Plisetsky," Otabek said, waving his hand one time as he began to walk away.

"I wouldn't exactly call this normal," he grumbled, flicking his tail back and forth angrily, though he knew it was more normal than being Soulless. He dropped it, letting the other walk away. Every part of his being wanted to argue with him, though he knew that wouldn't be a great idea. Of course he didn't plan on seeing Otabek Altin anytime soon, nor did he think the guy wanted anything to do with him. He probably hated him now, after he'd thrown such a fit over something Otabek probably _wished_ he had.

Still it didn't change the fact that he was terribly disappointed and angry. Pulling the towel over his head again, he sighed, wondering how in the hell he would tell his grandfather and parents about all this.

~~

There was a hint of jealousy which coursed through Otabek as he walked back to his house. It would've been nice to have simply been angry about which animal he had received on the day of his Soul Ritual. Instead he had left feeling lost, confused, frustrated...actually it probably had been the one time he'd felt so many emotions all at once.

All his life he'd never taken much time to care about what his Soul Animal would be. He'd just assumed when he turned 18, it would happen and that would be that. There wasn't a special animal he'd particularly wanted. Of course, then he didn't get anything, and that hadn't exactly been what he had expected either.

He thought about Yuri as he followed the path through the taller grass. It must've been just as disappointing, to go through his life and expect to get one thing and instead get something entirely different. A cat wasn't too far off from a tiger, lion or leopard, but it certainly didn't carry the same strength behind it. He couldn't blame Yuri for being so upset, all things considered.

Still, he would've given anything to be even a simple domestic cat. And Yuri was beautiful too, he could only imagine how pretty of a cat he was. His tail had been so fluffy and long, and he was sure the coat of his fur matched his beautiful blond hair. It was nice to think about, even if it did make him jealous.

"I'm home Mother," he said as he stopped at their back porch. He had gotten home far faster than normal, as he was lost in thought.

"Otabek! You're home early. I thought you went to read!" His mother smiled, her ears wiggling back and forth as he walked into the kitchen. He placed the book down on the table.

"I was interrupted," he explained quietly.

"Someone went that far outside of town?" she asked, placing a kettle on the stove to heat up some water for tea.

Otabek took a seat, rolling his shoulders back as he placed his hands down comfortably on the table. "Yuri Plisetsky."

"Plisetsky?" she asked, placing two cups onto the table with leaves for steeping. "What was he doing all the way out there?"

He shrugged. "Apparently he had his Soul Ritual today and didn't receive the animal he thought he would."

A dark look fell over his mother's face. Just as Otabek had felt the pang of frustration, he was sure his mother felt the same way. Maybe even more so.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yup. Something about a domestic cat instead of tiger," Otabek mumbled, not wanting to upset his mother any further.

"Well," she huffed, picking up the kettle off of the stove. "He should be thankful he even got an animal. Not everyone is so lucky."

"That's what I told him."

"He actually complained about it to you?" she gasped.

"He fell in the river. I checked to see if he was hurt," Otabek shrugged again.

"Still, it's rude of him to bring something like that up with you," she snapped, pouring the water into their cups.

Otabek sighed, almost wishing he had never said anything. He should've expected her to react like this. "He didn’t realize it was me. And don't worry. I'm fine. It's been almost two years." He spoke those words to quell her frustration, but he wasn't sure he believed himself. It had been two years, but being Soulless wasn't about to go away. It was something that would last a lifetime.

"Still," she whispered, reaching forward to take his hand. Her eyes held sympathy, a look he hadn't seen from her in years. He wished more than anything that his mother would never look at him again with those kinds of eyes.

~~

"Yurochka! Yurochka!"

The voice of his grandfather echoed through the woods, and Yuri heard a few tired coughs choking from his throat.

"Shit," he muttered. He should never have left his grandfather behind like that, but he'd been so embarrassed, angry and desperate to get away. "Grandfather!" he called out, stepping through the grass as he saw the taller man trudging slowly between the trees.

"Yurochka!" he gasped, turning around to see Yuri skirting through the taller grass. He ran forward, pulling the boy into his arms. "What happened?" he asked, taking a deep breath to pull away from him. His older hands stroked over the blond ears sticking up from the top of his head. "I see you're a cat, just as we expected."

Yuri turned away quickly, his cheeks heating up as he puffed them out. "...I'm just a cat. A plain old domestic cat!" he yelled, squeezing his eyes shut.

His grandfather was silent, before bursting out laughing. "Oh, Yurochka! Is that why you ran away?" he asked gently, turning his cheek to face him once again. "You didn't have to run away because of that!" he laughed.

"Of course I did! I'm an Omega! A domestic...omega...cat!" he shouted. "This whole time I kept saying I was going to be something amazing and look at what I got!" he said.

Squeezing his eyes, he let the warmth rush over his body, his bones and muscles twisting as he fell slowly into his cat form. Staring up at his grandfather, his green adjusted to the light blue sky behind him. The elderly man knelt down and gently stroked his hand over Yuri's head, scratching under his chin.

The fluffy cat purred, the hand feeling nice against his chin. His grandfather chuckled.

"Yurochka, you're beautiful this way. Absolutely perfect. There's nothing wrong with the soul you've received. There's no reason to be ashamed."

Sitting back, he let out a soft hiss, his body twisting back into his human form. He glared, shaking his hair out. "You don't get it! I'm a Plisetsky! We're...always something far greater than this! I'm supposed to be a strong cat! A tiger...anything but this! You're a snow leopard! You wouldn't get it, you can't even begin to imagine how pathetic I feel."

His grandfather sighed, turning around to head back towards the town. "One day, you'll see Yurochka, there is a strength in what you are."

Pursing his lips, Yuri growled, but followed reluctantly after his grandfather. He clenched his fists around the towel in his hand, thinking about Otabek. Being a cat wasn't great, but it was much better than having...nothing at all.

"Grandfather," he muttered, still keeping a bit of space between the two. "Have you ever met anyone who is...Soulless?" he asked.

"I haven't met the boy in town if that's what you're asking. I know of him though," he said quietly. "You should be thankful you received the soul you did. Being Soulless must be painful."

"I think it must be," he said, staring at the towel in his hand. He could recall Otabek's dark eyes, the way he had looked at him so emotionless, as though he'd suppressed any sadness he'd felt in regards to his situation. He hadn't even flinched telling Yuri about being Soulless, nor had he seemed angry. It didn't make sense to him. If Yuri had been Soulless he would've done anything to try and receive a soul some other way. Perhaps Otabek had tried, Yuri hadn't asked.

"Did you meet him?" His grandfather spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

"Eh?! How did you know?!" Yuri asked, his jaw dropping. Sometimes he couldn't believe how intuitive his grandfather was.

"Well it was a strange thing to bring up, and you've been clinging to that towel, which you definitely did not have when you ran away from me before," he observed.

Blushing, Yuri rolled the towel up in his hand. "Yeah...I, uh, saw him by the river. He helped me."

"I see," his grandfather nodded, raising an eyebrow at the boy. "You better make sure to return that towel, and thank him properly then."

“He told me to keep it,” Yuri muttered.

“Ah. Still, I think it best to return it.” His grandfather winked.

"Yeah...I guess," Yuri replied. Admittedly, there was a tiny part of him that wanted to see Otabek again. He wondered if his eyes always looked as they had this afternoon, and he supposed the towel was an enough of an excuse to seek him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy to finally bring Yurio into the story! It made me smile when people commented thinking Yurio would be soulless too hahaha, though I hope people like the direction this is going in :) Thank you for reading!!!


	3. Chapter 3

_"Isn't that the Plisetsky boy? He just came of age I see."_

_"I heard his Soul Animal is a cat!"_

_"Aren't all Plisetskys cats?"_

_"No, I mean a regular cat. Not a big cat like the rest of his family."_

_"Oh!"_

Yuri twisted the towel around in his hands, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was clenching at the fabric. He wanted to rip it into shreds, but that would've defeated the purpose of him returning the item in the first place. If he really could have his way, he would've punched the gossiping hag directly in the face.

It had barely been a week since his Soul Ritual, and already word had spread fast around the village about the results of ceremony. Yes, Yuri Plisetsky was a regular house cat...and an Omega one to boot. It sucked, and it sucked even more that everyone was still talking about it.

His parents had been surprised, to say the least.

"We can't say we're not shocked," his mother had said. "I'm sure you were too." Both of them had stared at him, trying to process the information. And though both of them had hugged him and said they loved him no matter what, he'd seen the disappointment flash across his father's green eyes.

"Don't worry darling," his mother had said, smoothing the ears down on his head. "I promise I'll help you with everything you need to know about your first heat and mating ceremony." It was nice of her to say, but Yuri wanted nothing to do with either of those things.

He'd spent the first few days moping about in his room, refusing to shift besides the one time his mother had forced him. And finally, when he did leave his room, people around town had stared at him, and he assumed whispers of his poor circumstance had seemingly spread beyond his house. So, Yuri had decided to spend a few more days in bed.

That was, until his mother forced him up, shoved the towel he'd borrowed from Otabek into his hands, and sent him on his way.

He flicked his tail back and forth, and sent a glare in the direction of the two loud women. As much as he wished he could shut them up, he knew his parents would not be pleased with his behavior if he started attacking random people for saying a bad word or two about him.

Of course Otabek and his mother had to live on the complete opposite side of town, leaving Yuri to walk the entire length of the village, until he reached the path which curved by the edge of the forest. Otabek and his mother lived on the edge of the forest and the meadow, directly where many of the wild flowers grew. Yuri hadn't ventured over to this side of town very often, but with spring on the horizon, the newly blooming flowers were lovely as they rolled through the breeze.

It wasn't difficult to spot Otabek, his dark hair sticking out against the yellow and pink flowers he stood above. Standing on his tip toes, Yuri waved his hand back and forth. "Oi! Otabek!" There was no answer, Otabek hadn't even flinched. Growling, Yuri's ears flopped down and he stormed towards the front door, knocking.

"Hello, can I help you?" A woman, who Yuri presumed to be Otabek's mother opened the door, her long lamb ears twitching as she stared down at the younger male.

"Yeah, uh, I'm looking for Otabek. I have to give this back to him," he said quietly, thrusting the towel out in her general direction.

She blinked, staring at the boy. "Otabek?" she repeated quietly. Her eyes lit up, and her ears twitched, a smile appearing on her lips. Yuri assumed Otabek probably didn't get many visitors, given his status. "O-Okay!" she said. "He's out in the back meadow, come along!" she said.

Yuri opened his mouth to protest. He hadn't come over to hang out. It was supposed to be simple; drop the towel off, say a quick thank you and then he'd be on his way, back through the town of obnoxious people. However, seeing how excited Otabek's mother looked, Yuri couldn't bring himself to say no.

"Are you Yuri Plisetsky?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, not wanting to ask her how exactly she knew that.

"I thought so. Otabek mentioned running into you a few days ago," she explained, the smile still present on her face.

He followed her through their tiny house. It was quaint, and warm, even without the fireplace on. She led him through the main living area, filled with a couch and some chairs, plus three bookshelves. On the table in the middle was a beautiful arrangement of orange flowers, Yuri could smell the fresh scent the moment he walked in the room.

She opened the back door, and waved her hand. "Otabek! Yuri is here to see you!" she called out.

The dark-haired boy froze, and turned to face the deck of his house. His dark eyes were surprised, probably because he hadn't expected to see Yuri again. In his hand, he held a messy, but gorgeous bouquet of pink and yellow flowers, and they shone against his dark hair, blowing across his forehead in the wind. Yuri felt his face flush, Otabek was incredibly handsome, his tan skin glistened as a perfect match against the colors he held in his hand.

"Thanks," he muttered, and stepped down off of the porch, his tail swishing back forth as he followed the path towards Otabek, the towel still clenched tightly between his fingers.

"Yuri," Otabek greeted, and Yuri had almost forgotten how deep Otabek's voice was. "What are you doing here?" he asked flatly.

Swallowing, Yuri held out the towel awkwardly. "This. I needed to give it back."

Otabek glanced down at Yuri's hand, then back up to his face. Pursing his lips, Otabek shrugged. "I told you you didn't have to bring it back. You could keep it," he said.

"Yeah well, I brought it all the way here! The least you can do is take it back!" he snapped, and bounced his hand up and down once, as though to push it towards him. He hated how flushed his face felt, his blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Thanks," Otabek replied, taking it from him as he wrapped it around the bottom of the flowers. "Like I said, you didn't have to."

Puffing out his cheeks, Yuri shrugged. "Whatever," he scoffed, flicking his tail back and forth. "What are you doing out here anyway?" he asked.

Raising an eyebrow, Otabek stared at Yuri. "You can't tell? I'm picking flowers for my mother's store."

"Oh..." he muttered, realizing it had been somewhat of a silly question.

Reaching into the bouquet, Otabek pulled out a yellow chrysanthemum holding it out to Yuri. "Here. It matches your animal form."

Glancing at the flower, Yuri reached forward and tentatively took it from him. "...Thanks," he said, pouting a bit as he ran his thin finger over one of the petals. Seeing Otabek made him feel guilty for being so upset about his Soul Ritual. "And uh, sorry for what I said again the other day," he muttered awkwardly, twirling the yellow flower in his hand.

"You didn't know," Otabek shrugged. "It's fine. You're not the first person. Were your parents mad?" he asked, immediately diverting the subject. Clearly it was something he didn't want to speak on.

"I think my father is disappointed, though he won't say. My mother got all excited to tell me about Omega things," he growled. "I don't really care about any of that stuff though!"

Chuckling, Otabek shook his head. "I knew you'd be fine."

"I'd be a hell of a lot better if the people in town would keep their damn mouths shut!" he snapped.

"You'll get used to it," Otabek muttered. "Or they'll forget in a week or two."

Yuri opened his mouth, but slammed it shut. Otabek had probably been dealing with this sort of thing for years. Honestly, Yuri didn't know how the guy did it.

"Whatever. They're all shits!" he snapped. "You shouldn't listen to them either."

"I stopped a long time ago," Otabek chuckled softly.

"G-Good!" Yuri said, blushing. He was impressed by Otabek, his resilience and his ability to let such hurtful things roll off of his chest.

"Everyone does things differently. Everyone takes their own path," he shrugged. "Even if it doesn't seem right to other people, doesn't mean it's wrong."

Listening to Otabek's words, it was then Yuri decided Otabek was one of the smartest people he'd ever met.

Of course, Otabek had been dealing with people's whisperings for almost two years now. It made sense he'd grown a thicker skin, though Yuri was angry that he even had to. He knew most of the people in town spoke badly of him, but during the few conversations they'd had, Yuri found himself only more intrigued by Otabek, rather than repulsed, as most of the town seemed to be.

"I guess," he muttered. He felt childish, standing in front of Otabek who seemed so unaffected.

"It'll pass. Something new will happen, and they'll focus on that. Your situation is the gossip of the week, if you know what I mean. I doubt they'll give you strange looks for the rest of your life."

Yuri's ears folded back. He couldn't imagine what Otabek felt like. Even with how angry he was, Yuri liked the warmth shifting brought him, it was a comfort he was grateful for, even if he was far too fluffy for his own liking. Yet, here he was complaining again, to the one person who really didn't deserve to hear his griping.

"All those idiots are missing out," Yuri huffed finally.

"Huh?" Otabek asked, staring at the shorter blond.

"You're a pretty interesting guy. If they don't wanna see that, then they're idiots!" he said.

With a chuckle, Otabek turned back to the flowers directly in front of him, "I don't know about that."

But Yuri knew he was right.

~~

Otabek had never expected to make a friend in Yuri Plisetsky, but ever since he'd returned the towel, the blond came over to visit practically everyday. Otabek hadn't invited him, nor was he disappointed, it just turned into their daily thing. Actually, Otabek felt rather honored to spend so much time with him.

Slowly, he was growing addicted to the blond's presence. He loved the way his green eyes burned with passion and anger, especially when he talked about his father or the townspeople. He liked the way his nose and ears twitched when he smelled a new flower Otabek hadn't shown him yet. Otabek had never had a friend before, and he was growing more and more greedy, desperate to spend as much time with Yuri as he could.

"Do you know what she said then?" Yuri snorted, flicking his tail back and forth. Admittedly, Otabek hadn't been listening as he'd been too focused on the angry emotions swirling around the blond's green eyes.

They were sat together on the porch, Yuri angrily ranting to Otabek as he worked on trimming the flowers.

"Hm?" he asked, arranging a few of the flowers on the deck.

"Are you even listening, Beka?" Yuri hissed.

"'Course," he replied. "What did Mila say?" Using clippers he began to snip at some of the thorns and excess leaves on the stems of the flowers.

"It doesn't even matter. She's an idiot," he huffed, flicking his tail around. His arms were folded, pressed tightly against his chest, and his cheeks were puffed out in frustration. Otabek would never tell Yuri he looked cute when he made faces like that. It was a sensitive subject for the Omega boy.

"You say that every time you talk about her," Otabek teased. He picked up the yellow roses, and placed them in one of jars on the porch as he moved onto the red ones.

"I say it because it's true! She kept going on and on about what Omegas have to do during the mating ritual and I didn't care," he growled.

"Mmm," Otabek hummed softly. "It might be good to listen, Yura. The next full moon is coming up. Tomorrow isn't it?"

"Ugh. Yes," Yuri groaned and flopped back on the deck, leaning back. "And what do you know?! You don't even have to participate!"

Otabek's hands froze, stopping cutting the flowers in front of him. Spending time with Yuri was fun, but there were a few comments the blond made without thinking, causing Otabek to have a reminder of who he was thrown directly into his face. Swallowing, he returned to snipping at leaves.

"It's a good thing, I promise," Yuri muttered, pushing himself up on his elbows. From the look on his face, Otabek could tell Yuri had realized his mistake. "You wouldn't want Alphas crowding around you, trying to get you to pick one of them. I'm not going to pick any of them!" Yuri snorted.

Otabek felt the hair on the back of his neck raise as a shiver ran down his spine, Yuri's scent wafting into his nose. His pupils dilated, imagining Alphas crowding the blond cat, wanting to have him for their own, and take him. He clenched his fists, feeling oddly possessive. It didn't make much sense, seeing as Otabek wasn't an Alpha...or any sort of animal. He didn't have the right to claim Yuri, but the thought of him with another made him quiver with soft frustration.

Taking a deep breath, he tugged a few dead petals out of the rose in his hand. "Do you have to pick someone?"

Yuri blushed and turned his face away. "I dunno," he muttered. "I'm sure it would make my heat more bearable. But who knows! Maybe I just won't have a heat! I haven't noticed any changes really," he shrugged.

Otabek found that extremely hard to believe. There was no way Yuri wouldn't hit his first heat after the first mating ceremony. He was a male Omega, which was an oddity, yes, but that didn't exempt him from the biological rules Omegas followed. "You should prepare as though you are going to," he muttered, placing the finished red roses in another jar.

"You really are lucky," Yuri growled, sitting up, he clutched at his ankles. "I don't want anything to do with this. What if I just stayed here tomorrow?"

Otabek blinked and sighed, rubbing at his neck. "That's...not a good idea."

"What? Why not?!" Yuri said, leaning towards Otabek. His green eyes shimmered with the determination Otabek adored. He knew Yuri wasn't going to let this idea go easily.

"'Cause," Otabek stated flatly.

"That's not a reason!" Yuri snapped. "It's perfect! You're a Beta, so even when I get all...weird from my heat, you won't be affected!" he said, his tail flicking back and forth excitedly, as he leaned in closer.

"You'll get in trouble if you don't participate. And don't act like people won't notice, because they will," Otabek said, poking at his forehead to push him back.

Yuri's ears folded back against his head. "But you could hide me! They wouldn't notice if I was here, I promise!" he continued.

"Yura, the town already hates me," he sighed. "I don't think it's a good idea. If you get caught here, I'm sure they'll blame me and what will you do if you're not allowed to come even hang out," he grinned, certain Yuri wouldn't like the idea of being kept away from here, since he'd spent almost everyday at Otabek's.

"You're no help, Beka!" he snarled. "You're supposed to be my friend!"

Friend. It was such a foreign word, Otabek was surprised to hear it from Yuri. He really shouldn't have been, given how much time they had spent together at this point, but still, he couldn't help the smile on his face. "I am your friend," he said, a hint of pride in his tone. "Which is why I'm telling you not to do this. It won't be good for you."

"Fine," he muttered. "I'll go. But I won't be happy about it! And if anything bad happens, I will be blaming you!" he snorted.

"Alright," Otabek said, placing the white roses in the third and final jar. "If you wanna blame me, go ahead. I'd rather you blame me, than get in trouble." He shrugged, brushing some of the dead leaves off onto the ground.

"You're so weird, Otabek," Yuri said, standing up as he stretched up.

"That's what they say," he shrugged, rotating his shoulders back. "Are you staying for dinner?" he asked, diverting the subject.

A pout appeared on Yuri's cheeks but quickly disappeared.

"I shouldn't," he sighed. "My grandfather is cooking tonight." Yuri smiled, his face gleaming against the now setting sun. Otabek blushed; seeing Yuri happy always warmed his heart, and made him forget all his frustrations.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then," Otabek nodded, waving as the shorter boy jumped down from the deck, making his way around the side of the house.

Carrying the jars into the house one by one, Otabek placed them in the storeroom on the side of the house.

"Did Yuri leave already?" his mother asked, peeking in from the front of the store.

"Yeah. His grandfather is cooking tonight, he had to get back," Otabek said, wiping his forehead.

"I see. I'll come inside in a moment," she said. "Just let me close up."

Otabek nodded, stepping into the kitchen as he turned on the stove to heat up some water to start on their meal for the evening. He sighed, wondering if Yuri would just show up tomorrow. That kind of seemed like something he would do. He knew Yuri had a point, Otabek was a Beta, and by all rules of nature, he wouldn't be affected by Yuri's sweet scent, yet so far, Otabek had noticed Yuri's scent, and he was growing more and more attached to it. And what Otabek said still stood true; if Yuri was caught here instead of the town center, it wouldn't be a good situation for either of them. Otabek could only imagine what people would assume. He was used to the town judging him, and speaking of him poorly, but Yuri's gossip had mostly died down and Otabek didn't want to re-ignite any sparks of drama.

"Smells good in here!" His mother's voice pulled him from his thoughts immediately.

"Ah, good," he said, stirring the vegetables into the pot. "Soup should be ready soon."

"Wonderful," she said, taking a seat with a pleased hum. Bringing over some bowls, Otabek placed a few on the table, letting the rest of the stew simmer. "Are you enjoying spending time with the Plisetsky boy?" his mother asked, a small smile on her face. He assumed she was happy to see he finally had made a friend.

"He's interesting," Otabek shrugged.

"He seems quite attached to you," she hummed. "Still, Otabek, be careful. You're a Beta, and...well he...is the son of a prominent family in town. I don't want you getting into any trouble."

Frowning, Otabek turned away from the table to pull the soup off of the burner. "I don't think I have anything to worry about. We're just friends, is there anything wrong with that?" he muttered, carrying the hot pot to the center of the table, steam from the liquid rising into the air.

"No, of course not! I'm thrilled you've met someone you enjoy spending time with. I...just don't want you to get hurt," she muttered.

Otabek had been hurt plenty of times in his life at this point, and for once he wasn't focusing on all the hurt, and he was simply enjoying his friendship. Why his mother felt the need to warn about something like this was confusing to him. Couldn't she be happy he was finally being sociable?

"I'll be fine."

~~

"Stupid Beka!" Yuri grumbled, kicking the ground. Really his plan had been genius! He could spend the mating ritual away from the gross Alphas he wanted to avoid. It wasn't like Otabek would be affected by his scent, and his mother was far beyond her prime. It would be a safe spot for him. Why couldn't Otabek take his side? They were friends weren't they?

Yuri had never been particularly good at keeping friends. Usually he came across as too angry, and often times he was focused on other things, personal growth. He didn't have time for other people. But Otabek was so interesting, and Yuri had never had a person he could label as a friend before. He wanted to call Otabek his friend, more than anything. He'd spent almost everyday bugging the guy at this point.

"I'm home!" he called out, kicking his shoes off as he stepped inside.

"Where were you?" His father's deep voice boomed through the front hallway.

"I was with Otabek," he said, slipping his jacket off, as he stepped into the kitchen.

His grandfather smiled, and nodded. "Did you have a nice time, Yurochka?"

His tail swayed back and forth as he stepped forward to grab an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table. "It was fine." He didn't feel like divulging any more details, especially since his grandfather was giving him quite the smug look.

"Otabek? Otabek Altin?" his father asked, his ears twitching as he glared at his own father. "The _Soulless_ boy?"

"Uh, yeah?" Yuri said, taking a bit into the shiny red fruit. "Is that a problem?"

"Is this your doing?" his father asked, gesturing in frustration to Nikolai while he ignored Yuri's question.

He shrugged his shoulders, his tail swaying back and forth slowly. "Perhaps."

Turning back to Yuri, he glared in frustration, his green eyes burning with anger. "Do not visit him again. I don't want you associating with someone like that. The mating ritual is tomorrow and soon, you will have to pick an Alpha. Someone like that is not good for you to spend your time around!"

"Hah?! Father, that's ridiculous. Beka is a good person--" Yuri interjected. Slamming the half eaten apple on to the table, juice splattering on the wooden surface. How dare his father try and stop him from hanging out with the one person he'd connected with in so long.

"I don't care what kind of person he is. You shouldn't be associating with the likes of him," his father snapped.

"I can associate with whoever I want," Yuri snapped back, equally angry. Standing up, he kicked the chair and stormed down the hall to his room.

Nikolai chuckled as he set out a dish of food. "You've finally found your match when it comes to your temper," he snorted.

~~

There was a knock on his door, but Yuri ignored it, shoving a pillow over his head to cover up his ears. He didn't want to speak to his father or grandfather, or anyone for that matter.

"Yura." The gentle voice of his mother echoed against the door.

With a groan, Yuri rolled onto his back as he pushed himself up, crossing his legs. "It's open."

"Hello Yura," his mother smiled, her fluffy ears twitching on her head as she took a seat next to her son. "You have to come eat."

"I'm not hungry," Yuri growled, folding his ears down.

"I know you're angry at your father," she hummed and pulling her fingers through his blond locks, gently stroking behind his ears.

"Of course I'm angry at him! Otabek is my best friend, my _only_ friend! If I want to be friends with him, I don't see why that's a damn problem!" he glared at her, shaking his head to get her hand away from his head.

His mother sighed, "Yura, your father wants you to be happy. Being an Omega, you'll have to pick a partner during one of the next few mating rituals...and we want you to find someone you have a connection with. You will never have that with...someone like Otabek."

"'Someone like Otabek?' What does that even mean, Mother?! You don't know anything about Otabek. Everyone has had some sort of damn comment about this whole Omega situation," he yelled, pulling away from her as he stood up. "Everyone has said something about how...strange I am. I get it. I _get_ it. And you know who hasn't said anything to me? Otabek. And he's dealt with people being so damn shitty to him, and he's never once said anything to me about this! So I don't understand why it's such a big deal that I want to spend my time with him!" he yelled.

"Yura, you're an Omega--"

"I know! I know I'm an _Omega_. A male Omega. It's shitty and weird! And I like that Otabek doesn't care!" he yelled more.

Standing up, his mother pulled him into a hug. "Yuri, please. I understand this is an emotional thing for you, but you have to know that only an Alpha can satisfy in the way you _will_ need. I...don't want you to get hung up on a person who won't be able to fulfill that for you," she whispered, cupping his cheeks. She tucked his hair behind his ear and sighed. "Tomorrow, we'll make sure your hair looks lovely and we'll pick out a nice outfit, an Alpha will be sure to pick you, or you’ll find one you want to pick."

"You're not listening to me," he snapped. "I don't _want_ an Alpha to pick me! "

"I know, but Yura, this is the only option. Now, come eat dinner. You'll need energy-"

"Forget it," he snapped. "Leave me alone." Pulling away, he moved back towards his bed.

"Yuri-"

"I"m _not_ hungry!" he growled, shifting down into his cat form, he leaped on the bed and curled up, tucking his long blond tail around his tiny body.

~~

He hated the outfit more than anything. The robes were long, red and pink, flowers swirling around the long sleeves. It flowed to the ground, and the way the sash tied around his waist made it look as though he were wearing a dress. His mother had braided part of his hair, pulling it back into somewhat of a half ponytail, the braids sitting snugly on his head under the ears atop his head. If it hadn't been for his grandfather being in the room with his mother, he would've stormed away.

"I know you're not happy about this, Yurochka," he said, placing his hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not what you wanted, but your Mother has done a wonderful job."

"Whatever."

"Yuri, please try and be more agreeable," his mother said, fixing the sash on his waist, tightening it.

"Just because I'm an Omega doesn't mean I have to be pathetic!" he groaned.

She sighed, standing up as she brushed off her knees. "I know I can't change how you'll act. You're as stubborn as your father. But know that not all Alphas are friendly, and you are there to present to them," she said. "I only...ask you to consider your attitude to stay safe," she whispered, adjusting the side of his robe. "Nowadays Alphas are considerate, but you never know." 

"I'll be fine," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "I can handle myself."

Yuri had never witnessed the mating ritual, but he knew generally what happened. The un-mated Alphas and Omegas stood in the center of town and attempted to bond with one another. Omegas were to release their scent and present themselves to Alphas, while the Alphas had their choice of the Omegas. Sometimes the numbers were even and people paired off easily. Occasionally, people would plan who to bond with ahead of time, though sometimes Alphas would argue and fight over who wanted who. Omegas still had to accept the proposition, but by the time the Alpha's decided, the Omegas heats usually hit, and many no longer cared who it was helping them. It was an old tradition, one that Yuri felt needed changing, but he really had no say in the matter.

Mated Alphas and Omegas also participated, as they would shift and spend the evening with their mate doing as they pleased. However, Betas and people who had lost their mate were not allowed in the center of town.

His mother and father led him to the center, where the other few Omegas had gathered. All of them were young women, all pretty with their hair done up in elaborate ways, makeup and jewelry adorning their faces and robes. Actually, Yuri felt a bit plain compared to them, which made him hopeful that an Alpha might overlook him.

The sun was setting, and the girls began to line up. He didn't say anything to his parents, knowing he would probably get annoyed at anything the two said to him. So instead, he stood in his place as he watched the Alphas line up.

Folding his ears against his head, Yuri hated the number of Alpha's in front of them on the other side of the circle.

"I forgot, we have a _male_ Omega to choose from this time," one of the taller Alpha's sneered. "Lucky us," he grinned.

"I bet he smells really good." Another male chuckled, licking his lips. The two brutish looking men stood opposite from Yuri, their tails flicking back and forth. Of course they had to be some kind of wolf, or so it seemed. Their tails were gray, long and bushy, their ears perked and alert as they began to take the scents in.

Wrinkling his nose, Yuri turned his face away from them, folding his arms. He definitely wasn't going to accept any proposal from them. As long as he could keep his heat in check, he knew he could handle it.

The two wolf boys howled as the moon began to rise higher in the sky, and immediately Yuri could smell a myriad of scents surrounding him. Most of the girls had already begun to release theirs, and Yuri felt his chest constrict and his body began to shake. He shut his eyes, hoping to focus, but it only made the mixture of scents even worse. Placing his hand on his forehead, he felt dizzy.

"Focus," he muttered, feeling his hands trembling. His fingers felt sweaty, and he began to pant, his scent starting to leak from his glands. He hated it, he had expected to, but it was even worse than he realized.

"You're not supposed to resist your mating ritual." A voice broke Yuri of his focus, and he opened his eyes, seeing a wolf boy in front of him.

"Get away from me. I have to accept anything you do, and I don't," he growled, his ears folding down as he took a shaky step back.

"Don't be like that!" the boy smirked, reaching forward to take Yuri's hand. "You're sweating," he noted. "There's no reason to put yourself through this pain," he hummed. The Alpha's scent was overwhelming, and Yuri tugged his wrist away, not wanting anything to do with the wolf.

"I said I don't accept!" he snarled, yanking at his wrist. He slammed his eyes shut, and thought of Otabek, how he'd never judged Yuri for being an Omega, how he'd never cared. It was better when he was around Otabek, always better. Always safe.

The Alpha laughed callously. "You're not gonna have a choice once you let your heat take over-"

"He said no." A new voice broke Yuri's concentration, and he opened his eyes, staring at a lion Alpha. He was tall with messy tan hair and a messy beard to match. His smaller ears twitched angrily, and he yanked the boy's hand away.

"Emil, leave us alone. I already claimed him," he growled.

"Uh. I seem to recall him not accepting," he grinned, stepping in front of Yuri.

"Well it's not like he's accepted you!" The wolf snarled.

"True," Emil smiled. "But he rejected _you_. So leave us alone."

Glaring, the wolf boy looked as though he wanted to attack, but Emil was correct, and based on tradition, there was nothing the other could do. "This isn't the end of this Emil," he snapped, storming away from the two.

"Well, now that that's over," Emil sighed. "Sorry, I promise not all Alphas are terrible," he winked.

Yuri opened his mouth to tell Emil he could've handled it himself, but he felt his chest constrict more, and he clutched at his robes, grabbing onto Emil's arm to steady himself.

"Whoa, Yuri, do you...are you okay?" he asked, tilting his head to look at him. "Do you need..."

Yuri quickly shook his head. "I...I don't want it," he whimpered.

Glancing around, Emil took his wrist gently in his hand and leaned toward him. "Do you have somewhere I can take you? Somewhere safe? If you stay here like this, one of them could try and take you whether you agree to it or not."

Somewhere safe? Otabek was Yuri's first thought, but the Soulless boy had said not to show up. Swallowing, Yuri pursed his lips. He couldn't go back home, his parents would be incredibly angry with him...and he couldn't stay here riding out his heat with Alphas who wanted him. Even Emil wouldn't be trustworthy for long if Yuri let the heat take his body completely. Otabek was the only one he could trust not to do anything. As long as he explained...there was no way Otabek would actually be mad.

"Y-Yeah. I know a place..."

~~

Otabek hated the nights of the full moon. He was never invited to the mating ritual, not that he really wanted to be. Though it didn't change the frustrated scent which wafted through the air. It was a faint smell for Otabek, but an unpleasant one. It always made his skin tingle and his body feel on edge.

Shaking out his shoulders, he tried to focus on the book in front of him, but he couldn't stop thinking about Yuri. It was his first mating ritual, but Yuri was...beautiful, and a rarity. There was no way an Alpha wouldn't pick him...if he'd let them. Otabek let out a small chuckle, thinking of Yuri's angry green eyes. He was such a fighter, there was no way he'd accept just _any_ Alpha.

Of course if he did, Otabek could assume Yuri probably wouldn't come to visit very often. He'd have a mate, and they'd probably want a family, and have plenty of other things to focus on. His heart felt heavy thinking of his life without Yuri now. They had barely been friends for a few weeks, but his presence was a comfort Otabek had grown used to, and it was something he wasn't quite ready to give up. Yuri made his life feel...warmer.

With his eyes shut, Otabek could almost smell his scent, as ridiculous as that was. It was impossible, with how many scents there were floating around in the air, but Otabek could imagine the sweet scent that smelled like a mixture of strawberries and the fresh river.

"B-Beka!"

And it was almost as though he could hear him too.

"Otabek!"

Opening his eyes, Otabek gasped when he saw Yuri practically falling onto his porch, followed by another male. He was actually there it seemed, and Otabek wasn't the least bit surprised. Of course Yuri hadn't listened to him.

He clenched his fists, wondering if this was who Yuri chose to be his Alpha. Yuri was panting though, and clutching his chest. His body was trembling, as though he could barely stand up.

"Yura?!" Otabek dashed forward and helped him up, leaning his thin body against his own. Yuri's scent was incredibly strong, and Otabek swallowed, feeling his mouth go dry as he tried to ignore how strongly Yuri smelled. "What the hell happened?" he growled, glancing at the Alpha male.

"He was getting harassed by some wolf Alphas, so I helped him get away. He said this was the safest place..."

"Emil helped..." Yuri groaned. "B-Beka. I didn't want them."

Otabek sighed, unsure of why Yuri had even gone to the ritual in the first place. Of course he had to, but anyone with a brain could've seen that he was going to resist the whole time.

"Can you...handle it?" Emil asked, stepping back. His pupils were dilated, and he flicked his tail back and forth, clearly affected by the strong Omega scent.

"I've got him," Otabek said, helping him onto the porch, as he slowly sat Yuri down. "Thanks," he nodded.

"Glad to help," Emil muttered, bowing as he dashed away, not wanting to be affected any longer.

"B-Beka..." Yuri muttered, clinging to his hand.

Otabek sighed, and squeezed his palm gently. "You're an idiot, Yura," he muttered, trying to ignore how amazing Yuri smelled. He was a Beta, and he shouldn't have been affected at all. But Yuri was in heat and Otabek wanted him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a bit intense, but I promise there isn't any sort of non-con or anything in this fic! I'm excited to be getting to the more intense parts of the story! I hope continue to still enjoy it! I am very grateful for the support I've gotten thus far :) <3 Thank you to Adriana for reading this over as always! Sorry for the slight delay, I was at a con :)


	4. Chapter 4

Otabek smoothed his hand over Yuri's forehead, pulling his hair back into a ponytail. His bangs were soaked with a mixture of sweat and water from the towels Otabek kept resting on his forehead, desperately trying to keep him cool. So far, they'd gone through four towels, and it didn't seem to be helping much.

Yuri's head was in Otabek's lap, and his fist was curled around his pant leg, his fingers trembling. "B-Beka..." he panted. His pale skin was the most red Otabek had ever seen it, and his breath was hot as it flowed between his lips. "It's hot..."

Actually, Otabek had never seen Yuri looking so vulnerable. A shiver ran down his spine as he took in his scent again. He knew he shouldn't have found it to be so delectable, but damn did Yuri smell amazing. He wondered how much worse it would be if he were an Alpha.

He dunked another towel into the bucket of ice water, wringing it out as he slowly placed it on Yuri's forehead. "I have a feeling it's going to be like that for awhile," Otabek said gently.

Yuri groaned angrily. "Can't you just...make it go away!?" he snarled.

Glancing down over Yuri's trembling body, Otabek clenched his fists against the deck. "I wish I could..." It would certainly make things easier for both of them. And as difficult as smelling Yuri's scent was, Otabek knew the younger had it far worse. Omegas were supposed to find an Alpha to help them take the edge off of their first heat, and make it more bearable.

"It's the worst!" Yuri snarled, his body still twitching. "It's hot and wet and disgusting! I hate it. I hate being an Omega!"

Otabek couldn't blame Yuri for wanting to do things on his own. He was, for as long as Otabek had known him, beyond stubborn, and admittedly, Otabek wouldn't have wanted to give himself up to the first willing Alpha.

Secretly, Otabek was thrilled Yuri remained un-mated. As hopeless as it was to imagine any sort of romantic relationship with Yuri, Otabek didn't like the idea of losing his best friend the moment he found a mate.

"It might help," he began, "if you...released some of this pent up energy," Otabek muttered. "Or I could go get my mother, she might know what to do better since she's an Omega." She was far too old to have any heats now, but she at least had experience, unlike him.

"Release it?" Yuri panted, looking up towards Otabek. His green eyes were desperate, darting between Otabek's darker orbs, searching desperately for some kind of answer.

"You know..." Otabek cleared his throat, and Yuri's face turned an even brighter red, if that were possible.

"O-Oh..." he muttered, glancing down, but then back to the floor. Otabek's knuckles turned white as he resisted the urge to touch or kiss or do something, anything to help Yuri stop looking so desperate and upset.

Squeezing his lips together, Otabek let out a long sigh. "Look, let me set up the guest room, that way you can have...some privacy." He bowed his head, and began to back up, but Yuri clung to his sleeve.

"Beka...you're going to leave me alone?!" His green eyes had shifted from desperate to terrified though he hid it behind anger. Otabek let out a soft sigh. He couldn't be in the room with Yuri if he did anything remotely sexual, but seeing his eyes look so nervous, almost made Otabek’s resolve break.

"I'll be in the next room. You'll need to do something about this, and I can't be there while you are doing...whatever you need to do," he explained, his cheeks reddening.

"Yeah, I guess," Yuri growled, his chest heaving as his body shook with another wave of his heat rolling down his spine.

Footsteps came up from behind him, and Otabek froze, realizing their voices had probably carried to his mother's room, mostly Yuri's, since he had begun to yell.

"Otabek, what's going on-...Yuri!?" she said, recognizing the boy immediately. "What are you doing here, you should be at the mating ritual and-..." She froze, staring at the two, keeping her gaze fixated on Yuri. "...We need to get you inside, to the guest room." She knelt down and took Yuri's hands, helping the smaller boy up. "I don't think your parents are going to be very happy when they find out you skipped out on the ceremony, but I am certainly not going to let you sit out here vulnerable."

Standing, Yuri winced—a small moan slipped from his lips, which sent a shiver down Otabek's spine, but he dutifully chose to ignore it.

She led him to the private room down the hall near the back of the house. "I'll grab some water, and extra towels. Yuri, do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel better, alright?" she said, helping him lay down on the bed. "The longer you put things off the more it will hurt if you let it go," she said, smoothing down his hair. "I promise you'll feel better in the morning, once the moon has set, but for now, we'll lock the door and make sure everything will be okay." She pushed past Otabek, scrambling towards the kitchen

Standing in the doorway, Otabek slowly walked towards the bed, next to Yuri who reached out to take his hand. "...Thanks. I, uh, didn't want to involve your Mom."

"S'fine," Otabek smirked, squeezing Yuri's hand. "She's probably smarter about this stuff than I am," he admitted with a shrug.

"I didn't want to involve my own damn Mom," he growled, covering his eyes with his arm. "I feel like a fool."

"You're an Omega, not a fool," Otabek said. "You can't help it."

His mother returned before Yuri could respond, and she placed the water and towels on the small bedside table. "Take whatever you need from the kitchen," she said. "But it would be better and safer for you if you stayed in this room until the morning," she explained.

"I guess..." he muttered. "Uh...thank you." 

"We'll leave you then," she nodded, holding the door open for Otabek to follow her. He swallowed, letting go of Yuri's hand, their fingers lingering together.

"See you in the morning, Yura," he said quietly.

"Thanks, Beka," he muttered, rolling onto his side awkwardly as Otabek shut the door behind him.

He took a deep breath, reveling in the clean air. His sinuses felt clear, and the air felt lighter, though the faint smell of Yuri's scent still lingered.

"What were you thinking!?" his mother hissed softly. "You realize the Plisetskys are going to be furious when they realize their son went missing. And we could be blamed... _You_ could be blamed Otabek." From the look on her face, and the way her ears twitched against her hair, Otabek couldn't quite tell if she was angry, or if she was scared, probably a mixture of both.

"I told him not to come here," he muttered. "Yuri isn't one to listen."

"I can see that," she replied, gesturing to the door. "It's also dangerous for an un-mated Omega to be out in the open like that!" Gently, she slapped her hand against the back of Otabek's head. "You should've brought him inside immediately."

Blinking, Otabek nodded. "He just...didn't seem like he could really move. I wanted to wait until he...relaxed a bit."

His mother sighed, walking towards the main living room, as she plopped down onto the couch, rubbing her forehead. "I doubt he'll relax until the morning, poor thing. On his own there's no way he'll feel better until his heat passes."

Otabek glanced back down the hallway. Maybe he should've offered to help. It would've been better than knowing Yuri was going to be in pain, suffering the night away.

With a chuckle, his mother crossed her legs and shook her head. "You can't help him darling, no matter how much you want to, a Beta wouldn't be able to give him what he needs. It's a noble thought, but it wouldn't work," she sighed.

"How did...you..." he paused, turning back to look at her.

"You're my son, of course I can tell when you have strong feelings for a person. You've never been one for words Otabek, and I've come to recognize your actions and facial expressions," she smiled.

He took a seat across from her. "Mmm," he grunted, not wanting to answer. It frustrated him that he couldn't help his best friend, among the many other reasons being a Soulless Beta bothered him. He didn't particularly wish to be an Omega, especially seeing how much it had affected Yuri, but if he had been an Alpha, this would never have been a problem.

"I do feel...bad for him," she whispered. "It was easy for me. Your father and I knew we liked each other. We'd been friends even before we had our Soul Rituals, and once it was known he was an Alpha and I was an Omega, even being the strange combination of animals that we were...I knew I wanted to be with him," she said with a sad smile. It was rare she ever spoke of Otabek's father, and just from the look on her face, Otabek knew not to push for any more information, though he often was curious about it.

"If Yuri doesn't have someone he wishes to mate with, it could be difficult for a very long time. But he can't keep coming here. As much as you want to help, this can't happen again," she said sadly.

"I don't think he wishes to mate," Otabek said. "It seems unfair he should be forced," he growled.

"I know," his mother nodded. "Though...I don't think it's that he wishes to not mate. It's more...he can't mate with whom he wants."

Tilting his head, Otabek silently thought on it. Yuri didn't speak to anyone but him, but he'd never expressed anything of the sort to Otabek. Of course, even if he did want to, it wasn't like they could. "No," he shook his head. "I think he's...just stubborn."

With a chuckle, his mother stood up and gently pressed her hand to Otabek's head. "So are you, my son."

~~

Yuri awoke the next morning abruptly, jolting up in bed as he didn't recognize the new environment. His head hurt, and he felt a bit dizzy, taking in the rustic cabin smell as the wind knocked against the window. Right. He was in Otabek's house, the guest room to be precise.

The small room was fit with a bed, and a bathroom off to the side. One dresser and a mirror sat on one side of the room, and there was an orange and red tapestry on the wall across from the bed which reminded Yuri of a sunset.

He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, as he'd spent the majority of the night attempting to quell the way the heat had rolled through his body. He had never been so damn sweaty in his whole life, and the way his ass throbbed and pulsated had been, well, disgusting.

He had tried a few different methods, touching in various spots, and he had even tried to ignore it and just sleep, which had worked a couple of times, but mostly, that had been unsuccessful. Thankfully with the morning, his heat had subsided and he felt some semblance of normalcy.

Now that his head was clear, he silently wondered if Otabek was maybe mad at him. He had told Yuri not to come. Since he was a Beta, Yuri technically couldn't mate with him, and therefore if he was found here instead of with an Alpha, people would most likely get the wrong idea, especially given Otabek's reputation. However, in the heat of the moment, Yuri hadn't been thinking straight and all he had wanted to do was go to the one place where he felt safe.

He was thinking more, and memories from last night rushed back to his mind. Groaning, he ran his hands down his face thinking about how stupid he had looked in front of Otabek. He had clung to him, growled at him when Otabek had to leave him, and he'd even made some of sort of strange moaning noise in front of both Otabek and his mother when he had to walk. It was unbearable to think about actually. The heat returned to his face, the blood throbbing in his cheeks.

And now, he had to go out there and thank them for letting him stay the night, which was fairly embarrassing as well. He also had to go home and face his parents, which wasn't exactly a pleasant thing to think about. With a sigh, he rolled over in the bed and slowly stood up. His clothes stuck to his body, and felt sticky and gross. He was in desperate need of a shower. Maybe if he snuck in the back way, he could find a way to escape the eyes of his father.

There was a knock on his door, and he jolted again, freezing where he stood.

"Yura?" Otabek's deep tone echoed through the door, and Yuri felt his pulse quicken. He didn't sound mad, though Otabek was rarely obvious about the emotions he felt.

Opening the door, Yuri smiled awkwardly. "Heh, Beka, hi," he said.

"You okay?" Otabek asked, and Yuri nodded quickly.

"Uh, sorry about showing up here after you said not to," he muttered, rubbing the side of his arm. "I appreciate you and your mother helping me," he admitted.

"It's fine. You needed help," Otabek shrugged, the air sitting between them felt dry and awkward. Had something more happened last night Yuri hadn't remembered? He couldn't recall anything dramatic, but maybe he'd said something stupid.

"Yeah," he spoke finally, breaking the silence between them. "But...I should head back now, and get this shit with my parents over with," he muttered.

"Ah. I hope they're not too mad," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder and he began to walk Yuri towards the front of the house.

Yuri's ears twitched and folded against his head. "I'm not holding out hope," he grumbled, following after him. "Can you thank your mom for me? I'll tell her next time I come over, but just for now...yeah..." he muttered. Between how awkward he felt right now, and the conversation that awaited him at home, Yuri thought it would be much more preferable to run away at this point.

"No problem. Be safe," Otabek said. "See you soon," he waved, and from the way he had said that, Yuri assumed he was still welcome whenever he pleased just like before. Hopefully they could just never speak about this again.

Walking home took far longer than Yuri meant for it too. His feet dragged against the dirt road, and even when he stepped in mud, he didn't seem to notice. He bit his lip, flicking his tail back and forth as he tried to think of a way to sneak back into his house unnoticed but he had a feeling there was no way that would happen. Knowing his parents, they were probably waiting for him at home.

Which, no surprise, they were.

"Where the hell have you been, Yuri Plisetsky?!" He was met with his father's voice immediately upon entering his house, and he swallowed, ears folding back against his head.

"...I was...out," he muttered, standing in the doorway to the main living room.

"Oh thank goodness," his mother said, greeting him with a hug. "Yuri, we were so concerned something happened to you! Where did you go? Who did you mate with!?" she asked, and Yuri turned his face towards the floor, not saying a word.

"I told you!" his father snapped.

"Oh no, Yura...where have you been?"

Clenching his fists, he pulled away from his mother, yanking his body back. "It's not your business! I told you I didn't want to do the mating ritual, I didn't want a mate!" he snapped.

"Yuri, unfortunately your body hasn't given you the luxury of that choice," she whispered. "What happened last night?!"

"I already told you it's none of your business!" he yelled.

"Yurotcka, it's better to be honest-" his grandfather began, but Yuri's father was quick to stand up and interject.

"You will not speak to me or your mother that way. Now tell us where you were."

"No," Yuri said defiantly, flicking his green eyes towards his grandfather's sad face. "Alphas immediately came for me. Alphas I had no desire to be mated to. An Alpha helped me get away and I stayed safe for the night," he explained. "That's all I'm saying."

"Stayed safe? Yuri, you're an Omega. You have to take an Alpha mate. Being a male Omega, I'm sure it's not easy, but you-"

"You have no idea what it's like. I didn't want any of them," he snarled.

"You spent the whole night in heat, alone?" his mother asked, stepping forward towards him once again, though Yuri took another step back.

"I wasn't alone. I was safe!" he snapped.

"Yurotchka," his grandfather said calmly, but before he could say anything else, Yuri's father stepped forward, moving in front of his wife.

"You weren't alone? Were you at that Soulless boy's house?" he asked, glaring down at his son.

Swallowing, Yuri felt his ears twitching and his body begin to sweat again. "...I don't have to say where I was," he said, the defiance in his voice quivering as he glanced towards his mother. She was concerned, but his father was filled with rage, a look Yuri was quite familiar with.

"I don't care if you say it or you don't, it's clear to me where you were, and I forbid you from going there again. If I find out you are spending more time with that Soulless boy, I will have a bodyguard assigned to only you, and you will lose your privilege of being able to leave the estate freely!"

His mouth opened, and he glanced at his mother and grandfather, waiting for one of them to defend him, though neither did.

Yuri narrowed his eyes, hissing at his father. "You can't stop me from seeing the people I'm friends with." Turning on his heel, he stormed down the hall to his room, knowing he planned to see Otabek whenever he pleased, no matter what 'rules' his father put in place.

~~

"So you immediately chose to break the rules?" Otabek said flatly, staring as Yuri paced in front of him.

"Of course I did! What the hell was I supposed to do? 'Never come see you again'? Yeah, right," Yuri grumbled, flicking his tail back and forth angrily. "You're my best friend, Beka! I'm not going to let my stupid father control who I spend my time with," he growled.

"Alright," Otabek shook his head, knowing it was absolutely impossible to argue with Yuri when he got this way.

It had barely been a day since Yuri had spent the night—the next morning he had come immediately over complaining about how angry his parents had been at him for staying at Otabek's on the night of the mating ritual. He also explained they had forbidden Yuri from coming to see Otabek again. However, less than a day later, here he was, pacing in front of Otabek's porch. Whatever strange awkwardness they had had between them after that night had completely dissipated when Yuri had stormed up to the porch as he normally did. Things were mostly back to normal it seemed.

"Do you want to never see me again, Beka?!" Yuri asked, leaning up towards him, his ears folding against his blond hair angrily.

Rolling his eyes, Otabek shook his head. Always so quick to make assumptions, Otabek thought. "No Yura. I don't want you to get in more trouble than you already have."

Yuri sighed, and turned around, plopping his butt down onto the porch. "I can handle my parents." He curled his tail around against his leg, and Otabek watched as he tucked his feet up, folding his legs in towards his body. Yuri was being oddly quiet. Normally he'd be ranting about how annoying his parents were, and how he wished he could spend all his time here with Otabek. For now, Otabek could only see Yuri's knuckles grow whiter the harder he clenched at the side of the porch.

Otabek scooted forward and tugged gently on one of Yuri's ears. "What's wrong?" he prodded. "You're too quiet."

"Do you wanna go somewhere?" Yuri asked. It was the quietest Otabek had ever heard Yuri's voice. It hitched in his throat, catching on his breath, as though he were holding back tears.

"Where?" Otabek replied, keeping his eyes forward. If he had to cry, Otabek was sure Yuri wouldn't want him staring at him while he did. No, Yuri was far to proud for that.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Anywhere. Some other village? The forest?" he suggested. "Anywhere that isn't here."

"You know we can't leave," Otabek sighed, nudging him.

Yuri immediately pulled away, glaring up him. There was the look Otabek adored—his green eyes passionate, burning with a determination Otabek had never seen in anyone else. "Why NOT?" he yelled.

It took Otabek a moment to process the seriousness in Yuri's accusation, his dark eyes staring at Yuri's greens. "Because," he said finally, "this is our home."

Yuri pushed himself off of the porch and glared angrily at Otabek. "Beka! How the hell can you say that when you know how they've treated you these past few years!" His brow was furrowed, and those beautiful green eyes were filled with so much rage. Rage for him...it almost made Otabek blush. "They've treated you as an outsider for the past two years. People won't even look at you, and why? Because you're 'Soulless'!? Why does that even matter?! Why should you stay here and deal with these horrible fucking people?!"

Otabek stared at Yuri, shocked by how much he _cared_. His heart throbbing against his ears loudly, especially when he remembered how amazing Yuri had smelled yesterday. Otabek swallowed and turned his gaze to the field in front of him, the myriad of colors blowing against the breeze. There were so many flowers, red, blue, yellow, pink, and Otabek loved them all. He loved how soft and smooth the petals felt against his fingers. He loved the gentle look on his mother's face when he brought her new arrangements. Leaving meant leaving these things behind.

There was a tiny part of him which had been secretly dying for Yuri to ask for something like this. Run away...and they could be together, just the two of them. And of course, Yuri had a point. The town had all sorts of predetermined ideas about him without even knowing him, and he didn't really care for the stares he got whenever he had to venture outside of his comfortable house.

And yet...

"Yura, I think you're emotional because of your parents and the mating ritual."

"I'm not! This is one of the best ideas I've had! I don't know why I didn't come up with it sooner!" he snapped.

"Yura...please," Otabek said softly.

"...I don't want to do it again, Beka!" he yelled, clenching his fists by his side.

"What...do you mean?" Otabek asked.

"The mating ritual!" he replied. "I don't want anything to do with it! I don't want an Alpha, especially not one of the shitty ones from this town! I don't want another heat...I don't want anything to do with it!" He was getting repetitive and over-emotional the longer he spoke, and Otabek felt his hand twitch towards Yuri, wanting to pull him close and wrap him up in his arms, protect him from the anger which trembled through the blond's tiny body.

He had had a feeling Yuri was looking to get away from the mating ritual, and really, Otabek couldn't blame him. He had hated seeing how terrible Yuri had looked the night prior, and Otabek wished he had been an Alpha, simply to cure Yuri of this pain.

But he wasn't, and he couldn't. And _they_ couldn't leave.

"I'm sure your parents would look for you-"

"They wouldn't find us!"

"-and my mother would be lonely without me."

"Don't be such a Mama's Boy Beka!" he growled, flicking his tail back and forth.

"Yura, please, calm down," he sighed. "I know it's easier to run away but this is our home. We can still...be friends and be happy in our own way," he nodded. The words felt hollow to him, as though he were saying them because he felt he had to. There was no way Yuri's parents wouldn't look for him, and if they were caught...He wasn't exactly scared, but it didn't seem like...a logical idea.

Frowning, Yuri took a step back. "I thought you were different Otabek. I thought you'd actually be smart enough to leave this place!" Closing his eyes, he shifted down to his fluffy form, his nose twitching as he let out a long hiss, his back arching upwards as he leaped into the grass and darted far away from Otabek.

With a sigh, Otabek took a seat back down and ran his hands through his dark hair. There was a part of him that was shocked to have Yuri's anger pointed directly at him, and yet, there was a small part of him that had wondered when this day would come.

~~

Otabek was an idiot. An idiot who was too scared to leave and find something better. For the past two years Otabek had been silently suffering alone, dealing with the way the townspeople stared at him whenever he did anything. This wasn't Otabek's home, this wasn't a warm place where he could be accepted. Yuri had only been dealing with the stares and whispers for barely a month and he was going insane.

He couldn't stay here. In a month, he'd be faced with the full moon again and there was nothing that sounded worse.

He ran through the grass, the blades tickling at his whiskers and face. His small paws slapped against the mud as he dashed forward, heading back towards the town. He froze as he saw the path to the village center directly in front of him. Glancing behind him, he could smell the scent of the spring breeze from the forest on the edge of town. He supposed he really could leave on his own if he wanted to, though adventuring into the woods on his own didn't sound very appealing. Sitting back on his hind legs, he shifted back, his body stretching back out to his human form. Leaning forward, he began to walk back, knowing if he wanted to leave, he'd have to prepare a few things.

"Yuri?" A familiar voice called out from behind him. Emil was walking up the path, carrying a large bouquet of flowers.

"Emil," he said, trying to hide his disdain. He liked the Alpha, and he was definitely grateful for what he had done, but after his fight with Otabek, Yuri wanted to be alone. "Hey, uh, thanks for the other night," he muttered.

"Hey! No problem! Are you doing okay? I assume your Beta friend kept you well protected?" he said.

"Yeah he did," he blushed. "You both helped actually." Snorting, he flicked his fluffy tail back. "I hope I never have to do it again."

"Did...you find someone to mate with?" Emil asked, tilting his head.

Yuri shook his head. "No, but I sure as hell ain't doing another one of those rituals."

Emil laughed. "Good luck. Hopefully your Beta friend can keep helping you," he nodded. "I know how much it must...suck though," he said sheepishly. "That's why I wanted to help."

"You're the only good Alpha here," he grunted, folding his arms.

"I think there are some nice ones!" Emil smiled. "But, there were a couple of shitty ones...I'm sorry."

"Why the hell are you apologizing?" Yuri snapped. Emil shrugged and Yuri shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I'm not doing it again."

"What are you planning to do then?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't know, maybe leave. Maybe try and find someone who will do my Soul Ritual again, so I can get the proper animal and class," he growled. That really would've been ideal.

"I don't think that's possible..." Emil muttered.

"Yeah if it was I'm sure Otabek would've done it by now," he blurted out, realizing Emil probably didn't know who Otabek was, as no one ever really used his name when they spoke about him.

"Otabek? Is that your Beta?" Yuri blushed. He wouldn't have considered Otabek to be his, but Yuri admittedly liked the sound of it.

"Uh yeah. I guess."

"Oh! Wait, he's the Soulless one!" Emil said, causing Yuri to immediately growl.

"Who cares that he's Soulless!" Yuri snapped, and Emil held his hands up, chuckling awkwardly.

"I don't care about that, really, but I've heard so much about him, I didn't realize that's who it was." Emil sighed when Yuri finally backed down, letting up on his tense body.

"Yeah, probably because no one takes the time to actually learn his name," Yuri grumbled under his breath.

"You know, I'm surprised he hadn't gone to the village on the other side of the forest to meet Yuuri Katsuki," Emil continued.

"Yuuri...Katsuki?" Yuri's ears folded back. Another Yuri? Why did Otabek need to speak to some other Yuri? He had him, that was plenty enough.

"Yeah! I have a friend from there, Mickey. He's mentioned Yuuri before. He was also Soulless, the only other time I've ever heard of this happening actually," Emil continued. “I don't know how he did it, but apparently he has an animal now, and a class! I know he didn't go about the ritual in the same way people normally do, but-"

"Wait!" Yuri said, grabbing at Emil's shirt. "What the hell did you just say?!"

"Woah woah, Yuri...calm down!" Emil said, wrapping his hands around Yuri's wrists.

"Someone else was Soulless?!" Yuri yelled.

"Y-Yeah!" Emil said quickly.

"But they got an animal and a class somehow?!? How?! HOW?!" Yuri said, standing up on his toes as he got directly in Emil's face

"Y-Yuri! Calm down...I-I don't know!" he said quickly, shaking his head.

"I gotta go," Yuri said, letting go of Emil's shirt as he dashed off past him, heading back towards Otabek's house.

"O-Okay!? Bye?!" Emil called out after him, completely baffled as to why Yuri had reacted so strongly.

As Yuri ran, he shifted back down to his cat form. He was small, but agile, and he knew he could run much faster like this than as a human. He darted through the grass, leaping over some of the larger rocks in his way as he ran back to Otabek.

He was in the same spot Yuri had left him—sitting on the porch while he worked on trimming some of the flowers directly in front of him. In cat form, Yuri could smell Otabek from this far away, strong, yet sweet, like some of the lilacs he held in his hand. Though he had been angry earlier, taking in Otabek's scent made Yuri feel oddly calm.

Still, he rushed forward, stopping in front of the porch as he stretched his body back to human form.

"Yura?!" Otabek gasped, eyes widening. He had seen Yuri shift of course, but never so quickly. "You're back-"

"Beka! We have got to go!" Yuri said, grabbing at his hand as he tugged him forward.

"Go where? Yuri...I already said we can’t leave," he grumbled as Yuri pulled his body forward with his tugs.

"No you don't understand..." he panted, feeling winded from running to him. "This isn't about leaving! There's this guy...Yuuri Katsuki or something, and he used to be Soulless but then he did something and now he's not!" Yuri said rushing through his words.

Otabek froze, staring at Yuri with his dark eyes, completely blank. "Yuri...that's not possible. You can't change the outcome of your Soul Ritual."

"This guy did!" Yuri said. "We have to go! You have to go ask him what he did!" Yuri said, tugging on Otabek's hand.

"Yura...how do you know this?" Otabek asked, still not moving from the porch.

Puffing out his cheeks, Yuri frowned. "Emil told me! He has a friend who lives in the village on the other side of the forest who told him about it. Apparently this...Yuuri Katsuki used to be Soulless and now he's not! So, let's go meet him! We can get you an animal finally!" he said, tugging on Otabek's arm.

However, Otabek stayed frozen. His dark eyes were fixated on the flowers in front of him, as though he didn't quite know what to do. He pursed his lips, and closed his eyes, before he let out a long sigh. "There's no way. I researched...there's...there's no way he could've been Soulless."

"Well you're not going to know unless you go and try and find out. So get off your ass and let's get out of here!" Yuri said.

Raising an eyebrow, Otabek stared at Yuri. "Is this a ploy for you to get me to run away with you?"

Yuri rolled his eyes. "That’s a nice _bonus_ ," he grumbled, "but no. This is completely about you! As much as I hate the idea of some _other_ Yuri being around, I guess it would be good for you to meet him," Yuri muttered. Still, Otabek stayed silent. "I thought you'd be more excited!" Yuri yelled.

"It's not that I'm not...interested, but it seems...fake," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"So you're not going to go with me still?" Yuri asked. "Cause I thought you were willing to do anything to fix your Soul Ritual. The Otabek from two years ago would go with me," Yuri snorted.

Yuri hadn't exactly known Otabek then, and from the look on his face, Otabek was probably thinking something similar, but...Yuri wasn't wrong.

"Don't you want to know!? It could be fake, but what if it's real, and then you...can get what you've wanted for the past two years! If you don't go, I know you'll regret it, Beka!" Yuri said, determination once again shaking through his body.

Otabek was silent, the wind brushing his bangs across his face. His hands curled into fists, and he stared down at them, watching as they shook gently against his knees. Pursing his lips, a small smile curled onto Otabek's face. It was something rare Yuri had barely seen himself, but damn did Otabek look handsome when he smiled and his dark eyes trembled with excitement.

Nodding his head once, Otabek gave Yuri a thumbs up. "Alright, we leave tomorrow."

Thrusting his thumb forward, returning the gesture, Yuri nodded. "Tomorrow!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I am honestly so shocked I was able to finish this this week!! It was a really hectic week, but I'm very happy to post this today! I'm excited to have Viktuuri make their appearance soon, I'll probably update the tags for the fic next chapter! SUPER huge thank you to Adriana, my beta, for helping me beta this so fast. You're the best. Thank you so much for reading, the amount of comments I got last week was amazing, and I'm so so honored people like this fic!! I hope people continue to enjoy <3!


	5. Chapter 5

"You're leaving, aren't you?" his mother asked, as he made his way to the living room. Her dark eyes were filled with concern, yet Otabek could sense some level of understanding when he looked at her. He was surprised she had heard the conversation between him and Yuri, he hadn't thought they were being that loud, even if Yuri often didn't recognize the strength of his own voice.

"...Mmm," he nodded. "For a couple of days. Did you hear Yuri?"

His mother shook her head. "I had a feeling," she chuckled. "For some reason I've felt like this was something you were going to do eventually."

Otabek raised an eyebrow. "I'm not leaving forever."

"Mmm," she chuckled. "I just had a feeling someday you might not want to be here, or you'd discover a way to find some answers to questions I know you've had for quite some time."

"Yuri said there's another Soulless person," Otabek muttered, taking a seat across from his mother. "Or they used to be, and they're not anymore."

"What!?" she gasped, leaning forward. "They're not Soulless anymore!? But changing how your Soul Ritual goes is impossible," she whispered. "And you looked--you looked for situations that could help you, how did you not know of this person?"

Otabek shrugged. Those were among some of the questions he had, and really Yuri's information seemed far too good to be true. Someone who was Soulless but not anymore? Someone who had broken free of the curse. If it were true, Otabek only wanted to know how.

The word Soulless had plagued him for so long. For two, almost three, years all he had heard were whispers of how terrible it must be to be him, all he'd seen were the blank stares of people not understanding how hard it was for him to be Soulless. The word was like a poison he couldn't eradicate from his being.

And yet now, attached to the word was some strange semblance of hope. There was another person who was just like him, who had somehow changed his awful fate.

"Are you sure it's...true?" she asked.

"No idea," Otabek shrugged.

Standing, she placed her hands on her son's shoulders, letting out a gentle sigh. "I only ask because I don't want you to be disappointed," she said.

"I know." He placed a hand over her own, and gave her fingers a squeeze. "I know you're concerned. I've made my own path up until now," he said, "If I don't go, I'll wonder forever if the information was real or not, and I want you to trust I'll continue to make the right choice."

"Of course I do. You're mature, and kind, Otabek. And rather talented at making beautiful flower arrangements," she smiled.

"I learned from the best."

Pulling him into a hug, Otabek wrapped his arms around his mother. "I want it to be true, more than anything," she whispered. "I know you say it's okay, but I see the pain on your face everyday. I know it affects you more than you care to admit." She moved back, gripping his shoulders. She frowned and flicked her ears back and forth. "Still, I don't want you doing anything dangerous," she scolded.

"I know, Mother. I can handle myself," he nodded.

"I'll make sure to pack you a nice bag of supplies before you leave in the morning," she hummed, making her way towards the kitchen, her small tail flicking back and forth. Otabek could tell she was nervous.

It was true, the forest which lay between the two towns was wide, vast, and mostly unexplored. Hunters often went into the woods, searching for food, or occasionally to hunt for fun, but the regular citizens of the village usually didn't venture there. Apparently there was a path, from a time when travelers and trade were more prominent. However, in the past hundred years or so, they had mostly been self-sufficient, so the few paths there were were overgrown. His mother wasn't wrong to be concerned, but Otabek knew they could handle themselves. There were visitors from time to time. It wouldn't be more than a day's journey to the other side of the forest, maybe less if they were fast.

"I appreciate it," he nodded, heading towards the back of the house to his room.

Alone, it was easy to hear the throbbing of his heart in his ears. He was surprisingly excited, anxious too. It felt so simple, they'd find this person, he could explain what he had done to get his Soul Animal, and then Otabek could do the same, hopefully. There were a lot of things he knew could easily go wrong with this plan. But this was the closest he'd ever come to having any sort of answer.

Actually, as much as he was anticipating finding new information, there was a small part of him that was simply excited to be spending more time with with Yuri. The blond's desire to bring Otabek on this journey had been so damn pure. His green hues had burned with the passion Otabek had grown obsessed with. And to have it all directed at him, it made Otabek blush, and his heart flutter more than he had expected.

He still didn't really understand why he was so affected by Yuri so much, besides the blond's obvious beauty. His scent was constantly making Otabek's head rush, and it had only grown worse when Yuri had hit his heat. He was a Beta, so he shouldn't have had any sort of reaction, even if it was a small one Otabek had been able to control. But maybe, if he wasn't actually Soulless, it meant he wasn't actually a Beta? If he wasn't that meant...

He shook his head, and opened his closet, getting ready to pack a few different clothes for the journey, as well as a few supplies. It was foolish to think about things that may or may not be possible. He had done his best to let Yuri go when they had first started spending time together, he wasn't going to sit and think about things he knew would never happen.

~~

Yuri had a plan to sneak out of his house as early as he could. He wouldn't even tell his grandfather where he was going; he couldn't trust anyone. His father would never approve of him leaving for a few days, especially if it was to join Otabek. Yuri didn't understand why his father was so against Otabek, since the man hadn't ever talked to him, nor did he really know anything besides the fact that Otabek was Soulless. Apparently that mattered to his father, which was enough to piss Yuri off.

The Plisetskys were well off, and known for being one of the more affluent families in town, and his father, as one of the members of the town council, often had say in how the village was run. Many of the townsfolk respected them greatly, and Yuri had known it had been a big hit to his father's ego to have an Omega son. So Yuri spending time with the Soulless boy probably wasn't helping his family reputation at all.

Yuri however, didn't give a shit about anything like that. He was the only Plisetsky child, which meant he was first in line to inherit from his father, but he didn't care about being on the town council or anything like that, though he'd probably have to. His father lately had been pushing Yuri to understand the way the town worked from a more...political perspective, something Yuri didn't care about.

Needless to say, he was happy to sneak away. Hell, maybe they'd stay away forever. Yuri highly doubted that though, Otabek was too attached to his flowers and his mother, there was no way the guy would ever leave for good. Yuri supposed he'd take what he could get and just enjoy the time away. Secretly, he was hoping to discover someway to change the outcome of a Soul Ritual. Maybe if there was a way for Otabek to gain a Soul Animal, there would be a way for Yuri to change his. He wasn't holding his breath, but dreaming was nice.

He finished shoving a few shirts and pants into his pack, and he swung it over his shoulders, opening the door as quietly as he could. His palm felt sweaty against the knob as he walked quietly down the hall. His father and grandfather were heavy sleepers but his mother could've woken up to the sound of a pin.

If anyone did wake up though, they didn't check on any of the noise as Yuri slipped out of the house unnoticed, running off towards Otabek's house. If he hadn't had the bag, he would've shifted and gotten there faster, but he knew he wouldn't want to wear the same clothes for the entire few days they'd be gone.

"Beka," he called out quietly, "are you ready?" He was waiting directly behind the house, his tail flicking back and forth with excitement.

"Yeah," Otabek said, opening their back slider. He slipped his shoes on, and handed Yuri a small box tied up in a pouch. "My mother made food for both of us, this is yours."

Yuri's eyes sparkled as he stared at the box. "Awesome!" he cheered. "I didn't even think about the food thing," he admitted, and Otabek shook his head.

"She packed enough for a couple meals I think, if we're conservative," he shrugged. Stepping down off the porch.

"And she was okay with you leaving?" Yuri asked.

Otabek nodded, glancing back towards the house. "She said goodbye last night. I think she's concerned, but she understands," he admitted, turning to face forward.

"So you're ready then?" Yuri asked, and Otabek simply gave him a thumbs up.

Yuri had been prepared to walk, he knew the other town wasn't exactly close by, but he hadn't been expecting to walk as much as they already had. Thankfully, the spring weather made a warm breeze rustle the trees, and any hint of snow was gone. Walking in the cold would've been hellish.

They walked in silence for quite a bit, Otabek keeping his eyes facing forward, fixated on the path in front of them. He looked intense, his dark hues focused, and Yuri could tell there were probably many things Otabek was thinking about. It had been a little selfish of Yuri, wanting to leave so quickly, and secretly hoping this journey could help him too, still, he was happy to see Otabek looking so determined. He deserved this, finding out the truth about what it meant to be Soulless. Yuri could only imagine what Otabek was thinking about, and even so lost in thought, Yuri thought Otabek looked ridiculously handsome.

They were going out in the unknown woods, yet Yuri didn't feel nervous at all. With Otabek, he always felt calm, like an Omega would with an Alpha. He knew Otabek was a Beta, but damn, if he had been an Alpha, Yuri maybe would've been okay with being what he was.

"You know," Otabek said, breaking Yuri of his thoughts. "That's where we first met." He gestured to a large tree off to the left, in a clearing. They were standing on a small wooden bridge, which allowed them to cross the river which cut between the forest and their town. They had finally made it to the edge. Otabek had stopped for a moment, staring at the tree he had sat under when they first met.

"I...don't recall," Yuri huffed, folding his arms, his ears falling back against his head. He did recall, he preferred not to tho, as he thought about how embarrassing it was to have fallen directly into the river in front of Otabek.

"Okay," Otabek snorted. "Let me remind you. You came running by, yelling about something, and then fell into-"

"OKAY, OKAY, OKAY! I remember," Yuri yelled, waving his hands in Otabek's face to get him to stop. "It was stupid, okay?!"

"I don't think it was stupid," Otabek shrugged. He continued walking, unfazed by Yuri's outburst of anger.

"It was pretty damn stupid," he grunted. "I fell completely on my face!" he snarled, stomping his feet after Otabek.

"Mmm true. It was cute. And it was how we met, can't be too stupid," Otabek said.

Blushing, Yuri stopped walking momentarily as he stared at Otabek's back. How could he say these things so casually!?

"You're...a weird guy, Otabek," Yuri muttered, his cheeks red as he stormed past him, noting that once again, Otabek was unaffected by his outburst.

There was silence between them for awhile, but Yuri found he didn't actually mind at all. Being with Otabek was all he needed, and even if the guy embarrassed him on more than one occasion, Yuri enjoyed the presence of the other, walking next to him. Plus, Otabek smelled so damn good, his floral scent mingling with the gentle spring breeze.

"Have you ever left town before?" Otabek asked, and Yuri shook his head.

"No, there was never a reason to," Yuri shrugged, folding his arms behind his head. "My father has always been strict about what I do and how I'm supposed to act. He hates that I hang out with you."

"...Ah," Otabek replied softly, keeping his eyes off of Yuri.

"There's nothing to worry about, it's not like I care what that old man thinks!" he added quickly.

"I assume most people don't like me," Otabek admitted. "It's fine, Yura," he chuckled.

"Well it's not going to matter much longer," Yuri said, walking faster to keep up with Otabek, his feet snapping a few dead twigs as he did. "We're going to fix it."

Otabek didn't reply, but Yuri could tell from the look on his face, Otabek wasn't sure it was something that could be fixed. Admittedly, Yuri knew he would feel a little guilty if he dragged Otabek on this journey just for it to be a wild goose chase.

~~

Night began to fall faster than either of them expected, so Otabek suggested they both stop and set up the tent he had packed for them. It had been a last minute addition to his things, but he was grateful to have it now.

"Here," he said, holding a few of the rods out to Yuri. "Help me pitch this." Staring at the metal in front of him, Yuri tilted his head. Otabek could tell this was something the blond had never experienced before. "Ah, never mind," he said, placing them on the ground instead.

With some awkward help from Yuri, Otabek finished pitching the tent as night finally overtook the day. Relieved, he carried his and Yuri's bag inside, holding the flap open to let the blond in after him.

"It's not much but it'll do. We shouldn't be walking around the woods late at night, especially you Yuri, an un-mated Omega could be in danger."

The blond puffed out his cheeks, folding his legs in. "I'm not in heat, I'm sure it would be fine," he scoffed.

"You don't know what people can and can't smell," he retorted quietly. He could've used himself as an example, but it was much easier to keep his mouth shut.

Blushing, Yuri turned his face away from Otabek. "Yeah maybe."

There was an awkward silence between them, as the gentle chirps of crickets became the only noise. It was far too late to keep walking, but it was much too early for either of them to sleep.

"Ah...thank you for coming with me," Otabek said, breaking the silence. "You didn't have to."

"'Course I did!" Yuri snapped back. "I mean did you think you could do something like this alone? Hell no!" he shook his head. "Plus, I wanted to get away too."

"Because of the mating ritual?" Otabek asked softly.

Yuri nodded. "Never doing that again."

"Your heats are just going to get worse..." Otabek whispered.

"How would you know you're just-" Yuri began to snap, but stopped himself. He didn't need to finish the sentence for Otabek to know what he was going to say.

"I know."

Blushing, Yuri tucked his knees up to his chest, his ears twitching about. "I just...want to do it on my own time. And I don't get why it has to be an Alpha! I mean...if I want to be with a Beta..." he paused, flicking his green eyes towards Otabek.

Admittedly he would've killed to be Yuri's mate. When he had come to him in heat, Otabek had wanted nothing more than to hold Yuri in his arms, and keep everyone away from him. It was such an Alpha trait, but perhaps he was simply a loyal friend...that was the only explanation he could think of.

"I..I could also be with another Omega," Yuri added quickly, his tail flicking back and forth.

"I don't think...Omegas and Betas could satisfy your heat," Otabek muttered. Saying the words out loud made his heart sink even more.

"What because they don't have a knot?!" Yuri scoffed angrily. "I get it. I get it, okay!? It just sucks."

"Yeah," Otabek nodded. It did, more than he could ever admit.

Silence fell back between them, and Otabek had to try his best not to stare at Yuri. He smelled good again, like the woodland spring breeze of the forest they had just traversed through. He watched as Yuri reached back, tying his long blond hair into a small ponytail on the back of his head. Otabek could almost feel how silky it had been when he'd smoothed his hands through it.

Suddenly, Yuri jolted up, his ears perking. "Did you hear that Otabek?!" he hissed, glancing towards the flap of the tent.

"No? What?"

"I heard something," Yuri said. "Something outside of the tent." He hissed, his body contorting as he shifted down to his cat form, hiding behind Otabek immediately.

"Brave," Otabek teased, wrinkling his nose when Yuri hissed once again. "I'll go loo-Ow!" he gasped, feeling Yuri's claws dig into his lower back. "What do you want from me?" he whispered. "If I don't go check we'll never know what's out there. And if we stay in here you're going to be terrified for the rest of the night." He received another hiss for that. "You can stay here," Otabek sighed. "I'll be right back."

Instead, Yuri leaped up, wrapping his tail around Otabek's neck as he rest himself on his shoulders. There was a low grumbling in Yuri's throat and Otabek resisted the urge to chuckle. It was cute, how much Yuri wanted to protect him, though he was sure his cat form wouldn't do much damage to anything.

Stepping forward out of the small tent, Otabek glanced around. It was dark, too dark to see much, so he tried to quiet his breathing, letting his eyes adjust. Since he was only human, Otabek didn't have special eyesight or a great sense of smell, but from what he could see, there didn't seem to be anything out there.

"See?" he said, glancing towards his shoulder. "There's nothing there," he said, as a squirrel jumped out from the taller grass. "Just a squirrel-"

Yuri hissed again, and Otabek, shocked, stumbled backwards, tripping over the root of a tree. He began to fall backwards, his feet slipping against the damp grass, and he grabbed Yuri, wrapping his arms around his small cat body, as he fell to the ground, landing on his butt.

"S-Shit..." he groaned, and Yuri scurried off of him, shifting back.

"Beka!" he said, moving closer to lean over him.

"Yura..." he mumbled, staring up at his green eyes. The moon illuminated Yuri's blond hair, making his green eyes and pale skin glow under the gentle evening light. Behind him, stars twinkled and Otabek reached up, tangling his fingers into Yuri's hair. It was smooth, and shimmered as he gently stroked his head. Yuri's lips parted, gasping slightly from the contact. Oh how he wanted to sit up and kiss him, press their lips together and hold Yuri close, promising to protect him. He couldn't, he knew he couldn't, but it didn't stop him from staring. "You're beautiful," he mumbled.

Yuri's face flushed, and immediately he swallowed. "What...B-Beka, I think you hit your head too hard," he stammered, glancing away. Yuri's fingers wrapped around his own, helping him sit up. "Uh, sorry, I guess I just...heard a weird twig snap or something," Yuri muttered. "Are you okay?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Otabek blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted once more. "Yeah." Pushing himself up, Otabek held his hand out to Yuri, helping him up. "We should...really try and rest," he said, turning away back to the tent, hoping Yuri wouldn't see how flushed his face was.

"Y-Yeah. I'll try and not get...paranoid," he said, glancing around the clearing once more.

Holding the flap to the entrance open, Otabek took a seat on one side of the tent, laying down to rest his head on his backpack. His gaze stayed fixated on the top of the tent, trying to forget how beautiful Yuri had just looked silhouetted by the night sky. "Just...wake me up if you hear anything else. Even if it's a squirrel, I'll protect you."

"Right," Yuri puffed out his cheeks, as he sighed. Taking a deep breath, he shifted back into his cat form, making his way next to Otabek, and he snuggled against his side. Otabek probably should've stopped him, set boundaries for where they could sleep in the tent. But he was selfish, and was thankful from the warmth, especially when it was Yuri's warmth.

~~

Yuri awoke before Otabek, but he was reluctant to move. Otabek was warm, and comfortable. He'd slept so well when he'd curled up next to him. Still, Yuri had no desire to sleep in the woods again, so when Otabek did wake up, he immediately helped the taller take down the tent.

There was another awkward silence, especially after last night. Yuri hadn't expected Otabek to touch him in such an intimate way. It had made his heart race, and his face flush as though he were in heat. He'd felt the familiar flopping of his stomach. Otabek's hands were strong, and even though it had only been a squirrel, he'd been so quick to want to protect him.

Yuri scoffed at himself, so easily swayed by the idea of being protected. What a weak Omega trait. He snorted, handing the metal rods to Otabek.

"What's wrong, Yura?" Otabek asked, once they started back on the path.

"Hah!?" Yuri asked, whipping his head around to stare at Otabek.

"You seem frustrated. You've been making all sort of...noises," Otabek clarified.

Blinking, Yuri was surprised Otabek had noticed, he thought he had been subtle...

"I'm fine," he huffed.

"You seem annoyed. I don't think it should be too much longer to the village," Otabek said, keeping himself facing forward.

"I'm fine, Beka. Just...uh, tired," he muttered.

Smirking, Otabek nudged his shoulder. "Are you embarrassed because you were scared of a squirrel?"

"WHAT?! N-NO!" Yuri yelled, jumping back, his tail standing on end.

"It's okay," Otabek teased, walking faster away from Yuri. "I may not be any sort of animal, but I can protect you from squirrels."

"Beka!" he hissed. "I'm not scared of squirrels!" He chased after him, following him down the path. The two ran for a bit, laughing as Yuri chased after Otabek, helping Yuri to forget any of the awkwardness from the previous night. Catching him, Yuri punched at his arm. "Next time, I'll protect you from the squirrel!" he snorted.

"I don't know if you can," Otabek teased.

Walking backwards, Yuri folded his arms behind his head. "Fine, next time there's a pack of killer squirrels, you'll be left to fend for yourself. I won't help you at all."

"Since when are they killer squirrels?" Otabek snorted, watching as Yuri's tail moved back and forth happily.

"I'm just saying, if it happens, you're as good as dead," Yuri sighed.

"Mm too bad. Good thing it doesn't seem like something we'll have to worry about anytime soon," Otabek hummed, shutting his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Yuri asked, snorting. "It could happen tonight for all we know!"

"Well, for one thing, we finally made it. So we won't be sleeping in the woods," Otabek grinned.

"What!?" Yuri gasped, turning around to see a few roofs on the horizon. "We made it!" he said, smiling. "Beka we made it!"

"Yes, that's what I just-"

"C'mon!" Yuri said, grabbing Otabek's wrist as he dragged him forward.

The two made their way up the path, heading for the town. It wasn't much bigger than their own village. Coming out of the forest, it was easy to see the center of town. The path split off in a few directions, but the middle path led towards a few of the larger buildings. A few larger houses stood in the middle, surrounded by circles of smaller houses, Yuri assumed the center of town was where many of the shops were.

"I can't believe we made it!" Yuri smiled, his ears twitching happily.

"Do you know where this Yuuri Katsuki lives?" Otabek asked, and Yuri froze. He hadn't exactly taken the time to ask Emil for more specific directions, but Yuri knew they were at least, in the right town.

Rubbing his forehead, Yuri's ears folded back against his head. "Uh, no. I don't know where _exactly_ he lives, but I know he's in this town, so we're in the right place."

"Eh? You don't know where he lives?"

"Not exactly?" Yuri said, shrugging. "B-But who cares! I'm sure if we go to the town center and just ask...they can help us!"

Slapping his forehead, Otabek shook his head back and forth. "I don't know what to do with you, Yura," he chuckled, patting his head.

"Eh?! Why?! We made it here! Y-You should be thanking me!" he retorted quickly.

"I know, I know. C'mon, let's head to town, we should ask them where he lives." Walking by, Otabek continued down the path, and Yuri followed behind him. He prayed Yuuri Katsuki hadn't moved away or something like that. That would've been extremely unfortunate. Of course, they could find him wherever he had gone, but that would've called for a far longer trip than either of them had planned for.

~~

"Where to start..." Otabek heard Yuri mutter when they finally reached the town. However, Otabek had already walked away from him, approaching a man standing behind a fruit stand. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he was so determined to find it. They had come this far after all.

"Excuse me, sir," Otabek began, "I'm looking for a Yuuri Katsuki, does he live in this town?"

"Ah, Yuuri? Yes! He and his mate live up on the hill on the other side of town," the man explained. He seemed friendly, but quickly he narrowed his eyes. "What is it you want with them?" he continued. "No trouble I hope."

"Eh? No, no trouble," Otabek said, waving a hand in front of him. "I just had a few questions for him," he admitted. "I think...he could help me."

The man sighed. "Good. That boy has had enough trouble. In the past few years, he's finally been quite content with his mate. I'd hate to send any trouble his way. This town is very protective of him," the man chuckled.

Otabek stayed quiet, but nodded. "Thank you for your help."

"Yes. Tell them I said hello!" he smiled, waving. Otabek turned, walking back towards Yuri.

"He lives with his mate on the hill on the other side of town," he muttered. "Just a bit further it seems." He didn't wait for Yuri to answer, he simply kept walking. It had been so _easy_ to find out where Yuuri Katsuki lived, and something about that bothered Otabek more than he cared to admit.

"Beka?" Yuri asked, following after him.

Otabek couldn't bring himself to answer Yuri. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. This town was protective of Yuuri Katsuki. He silently wondered what that would've felt like. If when he had learned he was Soulless, if the town had tried to help him, instead of shunning him, whispering about him. Everyone had looked at him like he was diseased, assumed he wasn't someone worth talking to.

He wondered if Yuuri Katsuki felt the need to stay away from town? If he lived on the hill because he felt it was safer the farther away he stayed. Yet, something about the way the man talked, Otabek couldn't believe that was the reason why.

Biting down on his lip, his footsteps grew heavier as he stormed through the town. People were staring at them, but it wasn't for the usual reasons. They were strangers, strangers who were impeding on their town.

"Beka! What's wrong? We're almost there."

"Yeah," Otabek muttered finally.

"What did that guy say?" Yuri asked. "I've called your name three times and you didn't answer."

Turning around, Otabek froze looking at the concern on Yuri's face. He hadn't meant to make the blond confused, but he couldn't stop the frustration from boiling under his skin. "It's...fine," he sighed. "Sorry. Let's...let's just get there."

If someone had asked for Otabek in his hometown, would anyone have checked to see if he was in danger? Would people have even known where he lived? He always did his best to stay as hidden away to not ruin business for his mother. And yet, he was sure Yuuri Katsuki's family business probably hadn't suffered due to him being Soulless.

"Yeah," Yuri nodded, and placed a hand on Otabek's shoulder decidedly. "It's going to be awesome!"

"Yeah," Otabek agreed, continuing through the town. He felt the tension in his shoulders let up as Yuri walked next to him. This was the whole reason he had come here. Meeting Yuuri Katsuki was supposed to help him, not make him feel worse. This was going to help in the end.

The house, if you could call it that, on the hill was directly on the other side of town, and thankfully the hill wasn't very steep. It was a fairly large brown building, long, with about 3 stories, definitely not what Otabek had been expecting. The sign over the door indicated the house as a bathhouse and inn too.

"A bathhouse!?" Yuri yelled. "He lives here?!"

Otabek shrugged. "That's what they said." Stepping forward, Otabek knocked on the door.

It only took one knock for the door to swing open. "Welcome!" A man with silver hair cheered happily, his voice a happy sing-song. His eyes were shut, and his mouth was in a wide, practically heart-shaped smile. The white, pointy ears on the top of his head, twitched happily. "The Katsuki family is happy to welcome you! Will you be staying the night? Or..." he hummed, opening his bright blue eyes. "Perhaps you're only here for a relaxing bath!"

Blinking, both Yuri and Otabek were so shocked by how energized the man in front of them seemed to be.

"Uh..." Yuri began, and Otabek coughed.

"We're...actually looking for a...Yuuri Katsuki. Are you him? Or...does he live here?"

"Ah, Yuuri~!" the man hummed, placing his hands on his own cheeks. "No, no. I'm not Yuuri. That's my mate!" he chuckled. "Who might you be? I've never seen you before," he said. The silver-haired man folded his arms and leaned against the frame of the door. His cheerful demeanor was still present, though Otabek could quickly see this man was Yuuri Katsuki's Alpha. His blue eyes twinkled with a possessiveness only an Alpha could have. "If you're customers, I can also help you," he continued.

"Ah, no..." Otabek replied. He wanted to handle this delicately. He didn't need Yuuri's Alpha hating them before they even met the guy.

"We're here to talk to Yuuri about being Soulless!" Yuri blurted out. He was frowning, looking angry. Otabek sighed, unsure why he had expected this to go smoothly.

"Wow!" The man chuckled. "You're a feisty one." Yuri's ears folded against the back of his head. "But Yuuri is no longer Soulless, nor do I think it's something he enjoys talking about."

"Wait!" Yuri snapped, pointing at Otabek. "You don't understand. _He's_ Soulless." 

"Oh?" The silver-haired man's eyes widen.

"I need to talk to him," Otabek said, his dark eyes glaring at the Alpha. He was a Beta, there was no way he could actually take on an Alpha, especially one protecting his mate, but Otabek wasn't about to turn around. "I think he can help me."

"You're Soulless? Hm." The man leaned in, as if analyzing Otabek to see if his claim were true. 

"I'm not lying. I'm 20, I had my Soul Ritual two years ago and never received an animal, and I'm sure you can smell my Beta status," Otabek explained bluntly. 

"I can certainly tell you are a Beta…" Glancing at both of them, the man smiled once more. "Well, I'm sure Yuuri would want to help in anyway he can," the silver haired man said, stepping to the side to let them both inside of the inn.

"Thank you," Otabek said, letting out a sigh of relief as he walked inside after Yuri had.

"My name is Viktor Nikiforov. Like I said, Yuuri is my mate. Let me call for him." Stepping more inside, Viktor made his way to a door on the side. "Yuuri! There are some people here to see you!"

The inside of the inn was quaint, and warm. Decorated with red and oranges, it smelled of warm water and soup. Across the room, there was a big desk with a large cabinet behind it, and a giant book on the front counter.

Emerging from the door Viktor had called into, a shorter dark-haired boy with glasses emerged from what smelled to be the kitchen. "Oh, hello," he bowed, a gentle smile on his face. His small puppy ears flopped over as he tipped his head forward. Otabek couldn't help but stare at the small brown ears, and the small tail wagging behind him. If he really had been Soulless, it seemed it was true; Yuuri Katsuki now had a Soul Animal.

Viktor wrapped his arms around the shorter boy. "Ah my Yuuri! Lunch smells delicious!" he hummed, rubbing his cheek against Yuuri's. His white, bushy tail wagged back and forth excitedly.

"V-Viktor!" he said, chuckling. "It's almost done!"

Yuri rolled his eyes, and while he folded his arms, he cleared his throat.

"A-Ah. Sorry!" Yuuri bowed. "I'm Yuuri Katsuki, Viktor told me you were looking for me? I'm sorry but do I know you?"

"'Bout time-" Yuri snapped, but Otabek was quick to cover Yuri's mouth.

"No you don't...know us, but yes we were looking for you," Otabek explained. "My name is Otabek Altin, and this is Yuri Plisetsky. We're from the town on the other side of the forest. I'm...Soulless, and I was told you used to be."

"Ah...you're Soulless?" Yuuri asked. The look in his eyes was one of understanding, pain, but it was still gentle. Viktor's hand snaked down to Yuuri's, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I...I'm sorry. I know how hard that must be."

"Yeah! It sucks," Yuri scoffed, flicking his tail back and forth.

"Yuri," Otabek scolded quietly. "We came here hoping you could explain...how you got a Soul Animal?"

Yuuri glanced towards Viktor and nodded. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be," he said stepping forward. "But...I did used to be Soulless, and I'm happy to share my experience with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, it is a miracle I got this chapter done this week LOL! Somehow I'm surviving?! LOL I'm so so honored this story has over 150 kudos, I really really appreciate all the comments, kudos, and messages I've received on twitter/tumblr for this!! I love OtaYuri a lot and I'm SUPER excited to be introducing more characters in now! I hope people continue to enjoy! <3 SUPER THANK YOU to my beta Adriana for reading this SO FREAKING FAST. She's amazing tbh!!! <3


	6. Chapter 6

The room the four were sat in was tiny, but had a warmth Otabek couldn't quite explain. It felt cozy, the way they had gathered around the table, legs tucked under the warm blanket, and of course, it was impossible to ignore the gentle way Viktor continually glanced at his mate. Most of the time Yuuri didn't even notice, but Otabek had. Every gentle stroke of Viktor’s finger over Yuuri's hand, and every flick of his bright blue eyes in Yuuri's direction. And whether Yuuri was aware of it or not, his cheeks held a red color.

They were so in love, and Otabek found he was a little jealous. Yuri on the other hand...well, he looked annoyed, his green eyes darting between the couple, unsure of where to look. Otabek was sure he heard him huff out once or twice.

Before settling in to the small room, Yuuri had apologized, bowing to both of them so many times. If only he had known he was going to have guests, he would've planned for more food, etc. Otabek had brushed him off, but it seemed nothing he nor Yuri said was going to help the dark-haired Omega stop beating himself up.

But now, food was behind them, and they currently sat quietly, the tension growing with each silent second.

"I'm sorry," Yuuri apologized again, this time for something different. "I want to help you, Otabek, but I'm not sure I can."

"Anything you know would be...helpful," Otabek admitted. There was a hint of pleading in his voice, though he wasn't going to do anything to force Yuuri to answer his question. "Even just...how it all happened."

"I could do that," Yuuri nodded. "I'll try and make it an interesting story."

Yuri scoffed, his tail flicking back and forth as he (surprisingly) kept his mouth shut.

"Mmm," Otabek muttered. Yuuri had once been Soulless, and now he wasn't...there had to be something hidden in his story, whether the Omega knew it or not.

"Actually, if I'm really being honest, I am just as happy to meet you as you are to meet me," Yuuri said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "For so long I thought I was the only one to experience this, so it'd be interesting to hear your side of things as well."

Otabek nodded. "I can tell you." Though from the way the townspeople had spoken, Otabek was certain there was no way his story would end as well as Yuuri's.

"I guess you could say it started on the day of my Soul Ritual. It wasn't like I ever expected to be Soulless, there was no clue to tip me off. I didn't even know it was a thing!" Yuuri admitted, chuckling as he adjusted his legs, curling them in towards his body. Otabek nodded, recalling nothing had seemed off to him either.

"I had been excited," Yuuri continued. "I had gone to the Council of Elders with my mother and my sister." Yuuri played with a small piece of dark hair on the side of his head. "I know I had been nervous too. You know you spend your whole childhood waiting, and wondering what animal you'll be blessed with, so of course, you think of all the possibilities as you stand there waiting for it to begin." His voice trembled, and Otabek noticed Viktor scoot closer. Otabek's hands had curled into fists against his legs, the emotions of the day of his Soul Ritual rushing over his body. He was all too familiar with exactly what Yuuri had described.

“Indeed,” Otabek muttered, nodding in agreement. 

Yuuri’s body moved closer to Viktor, clearly comforted by the scent of his mate as he let out a sigh. "I left my mom and sister, and I made my way to the center of the room, and the Elders began to perform the ritual but in the end, nothing happened. I didn't experience any sort of connection or warmth, my body held no desire to shift. All there was...was darkness," he whispered.

Viktor's ears twitched, looking frustrated. Perhaps he didn't enjoy hearing of a time when he and Yuuri weren't together, or maybe he could simply feel how uncomfortable his mate was. He covered his own hand over Yuuri's. "It's alright, my Yuuri."

"I know, I know," Yuuri nodded, giving Viktor's hand a squeeze. He swallowed and adjusted the glasses on his face. "When the ritual ended, the Elders were baffled. Only one of them had seen this happen before, and they explained I was a Soulless Beta. Soulless," Yuuri repeated, swallowing hard. "It's a stupid word. It makes it sound like you aren't human, just an empty doll, but that's not it at all. You can feel your heartbeat, you get happy, sad, nervous just like everyone else. You're still...some form of human." Yuuri paused, staring at Otabek's dark eyes, the younger knowing Yuuri could tell he had had the exact same thought process at one time or another.

"It...was hard, explaining what had happened to my family, to the people in my town. I had expected to possibly be an Omega, but definitely not a Soulless Beta. I know most people were protective of me, and wanted to keep me safe from anyone who would say something about being Soulless, but there were those who felt it was a disease or something I had done to deserve this. It was...not a good time in my life. I gained a lot of weight," he chuckled awkwardly.

"I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how frustrating it is being a young Beta, and Soulless on top of that," he said. "I wasn't allowed to participate in any mating rituals. Actually I had...resigned myself to being alone," Yuuri sighed.

Viktor growled. "If I had been here, I never would've let all this happen to you. I would've never let you feel alone, ever."

Next to him, Otabek could tell with the way Yuri had shifted that he had rolled his eyes at the two. However, Otabek thought it was nice to see two people so incredibly devoted to each other and he was felt the jealousy rise in him once more.

"I know, Viktor," Yuuri said, smiling at his mate. "And you know I appreciate that. Still, at the time I had resigned myself to lots of things actually. I assumed I would spend my life alone, and I assumed there was nothing I could've done about the results of my Soul Ritual."

Yuri scoffed, slamming his hand down on the table. "So, you just gave up? Didn't even try anything else? How lame!"

"Yura..." Otabek muttered, hoping to stop his friend. His situation hadn't been very different. Yes, he had done some research, but ultimately he had given up on finding anything new out too, up until now.

Yuuri laughed again, awkwardly. "No, no, I guess you're right. It was kind of pathetic, and most of the people in the town knew I wasn't very happy. In the end, I was approached by the one Elder who had encountered someone Soulless before. She told me if I wanted to find a Soul Animal, I could, however, it wouldn't be easy." Yuuri pulled back from Viktor, wringing his hands together.

"You see," he continued. "Being Soulless, you sort of have two outcomes. Either you really stay 'Soulless' forever, or you become a late bloomer, and find your animal later on in life, at least, this is what the Elder told me. To be completely honest, when she told me that, I remember thinking I was probably going to be Soulless forever.

"I asked her how exactly one goes about finding their Soul Animal, but she said she didn't really know. She did say a good place to start was finding different animals, and seeing if I connected with any of them. And that was...a disaster," Yuuri sighed and shook his head. "I had a strange run in with a wolf, which led to me running out of the forest screaming. Scary." Yuuri's face was red as he told the story, covering his cheeks. "Basically," he continued, clearing his throat. "None of the animals I interacted with really wanted anything to do with me...but, then I did find a connection. With Viktor!" Yuuri smiled, and Viktor looked so full of pride, Otabek was nervous the man was going to explode right there.

"It wasn't really a connection with a specific animal, but it was a connection. I was a Beta, but around Viktor...I found I was drawn to his scent and his voice, and I wanted nothing more than to spend as much time as I possibly could with him."

Otabek glanced towards Yuri, but quickly moved his gaze back to the couple in front of them. Yuuri's story wasn't much unlike his own feelings for Yuri. He always wanted to see him, and even when Yuri was loud and abrasive, Otabek didn't seem to care much. And this didn't include how intense Yuri's scent was to him, even now it felt so distinctive, Yuri's scent overwhelming his senses.

"I had been passing through town, but I was so drawn to Yuuri, I couldn't bring myself to leave," Viktor explained. "Actually, at first, I thought he was an Omega, since I was an un-mated Alpha and I was so enraptured by his scent. I'm sure you can imagine how surprised I was when he said he was Soulless!" Viktor chuckled. "I had never heard of such a thing before!"

"It was kind of embarrassing to explain to you," Yuuri muttered.

"I suppose it might have been, but it all worked out in the end!" Viktor chirped, his white ears twitching as his bushy tail flicked back and forth. "He smelled too delicious for me to ignore," Viktor teased, giving Yuuri's cheek a peck. They truly seemed happy, Yuuri's Soullessness hadn't affected their relationship at all. Flicking his gaze towards Yuri, Otabek wondered if he could find someone who wouldn't mind being with him, even if he were to be Soulless for the rest of his life.

Wrapping his hand around Viktor's, Yuuri smiled. "I guess you could say it's all thanks to Viktor that I found my Soul Animal."

"And how exactly did that happen?" Otabek asked. There had to be _something_ , some clue to finding his own Soul Animal. He glanced towards Yuri once again, it was possible however, he just hadn't found the right person yet.

"Hmm.." Yuuri's ears quirked while he tapped at his chin. "I'm trying to remember exactly. I recall going into a pretty intense heat, which I thought was impossible. It was so bad, I blacked out, and heard a voice, which is what I hear happens during a Soul Ritual. When I came to, I had the Soul of a dog and was an Omega," Yuuri continued.

"So...this happened after you met him?" Yuri questioned, pointing at Viktor.

Yuuri nodded. "Pretty soon after. I don't know if that's how it works for all Soulless people. I mean maybe some people do meet their animal?" he said. "It's possible I was just...a late bloomer. There aren't enough Soulless people for Elders to have enough information on how to handle them. For all we know, all Soulless people are different and find their Soul Animals in different ways...or..." he trailed off, but Otabek knew exactly where that sentence had been going. It was possible he would never find his Soul Animal.

"I...I'm sorry if this was unhelpful, Otabek," Yuuri said bowing his head. "I...I know you came here looking for answers," he whispered.

Otabek let out a soft sigh. "It's alrig-"

"It's _bullshit_ " Yuri yelled, slamming his hand down onto the table. He stood up, glaring at them. "It was completely unhelpful! What are we supposed to do? Assume Otabek will just figure it out?! What if he...never meets his mate, and he's stuck dealing with the horrible stares! Why did we even bother listening to your useless story?" Turning his back on them, Yuri shifted down into his cat form, the tiny, fluffy blond creature dashing out of the room.

"...A-Ah..." Yuuri's mouth was open and Otabek rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Hmm..." Viktor hummed softly, staring at the door Yuri had so hastily ran through.

"He's just...like that," Otabek admitted quietly. "I...apologize."

"Please don't apologize," Yuuri bowed again. "I'm sorry, really I am! I wish I could've helped you more."

"Just...knowing it's possible to still get a Soul Animal eventually is enough for me," he whispered. "Yuri...is a very passionate individual."

"He cares about you a lot it seems," Viktor said.

Otabek cleared his throat, glancing at the door, even though he knew Yuri probably wasn't going to come back anytime soon. "Mm. He does. I'm happy to be his friend..." he muttered. Viktor and Yuri both exchanged a glance.

"Our hometown has not been nice to either of us," Otabek admitted. "He's from an affluent family, and they believed he would be an Alpha. I know Yuri has struggled with his Omega status. He even came to me when he was in heat. On top of this, he hates how the town treats me," he finished, not wanting to elaborate too much about his own misfortunes. "I'm sorry he stormed out, it really isn't your fault."

Otabek really didn't blame Yuuri for anything, and really the information had been specific to Yuuri, but it truly was nice to know it wasn't completely hopeless.

"Well, I'd like to offer you a room here for the evening," Yuuri said. "I'll make a big dinner, for all of us!" he insisted. "I hope you and Yuri choose to stay."

"Ah. We'd love to," Otabek nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'm sure Yuri will be grateful too, whenever he returns..."

"Of course! I will show you to your room now," Yuuri said, standing up to bring Otabek upstairs.

~~

Yuri's paws patted against the wooden floor of the inn, and he didn't even notice when the ground changed to the earth, his paw pads pressing into the dirt. He ran for a longer time than he meant to, and when he came to the edge of the large hill, he stopped, staring momentarily at the forest. He shifted back to his human form, standing tensely.

"DAMMIT!" he yelled, clenching his fists. "DAMMIT!" he repeated, quickly sinking to the ground. He tucked his legs in towards his chest, burying his face into his knees. He had dragged Otabek all the way here, and Yuuri couldn't even help them. It was such bullshit.

It wasn't how Yuri had pictured this trip going at all. They were supposed to arrive, and Otabek would find the answer he was looking for, or maybe even find his Soul Animal, become a Alpha and then they could...

Groaning, he clutched at his knees tighter. How much of an idiot was he?! Did he really think he could just bring Otabek here and magically make him the perfect mate for himself? Yuri felt the selfish desire washing over him. He hadn't meant to be make it about himself, Otabek was the one with the problem. Otabek was the one who was outcast and alone, and yet, deep down inside Yuri had hoped to solve Otabek's problem and in turn, solve his own.

More than anything he wanted Otabek to feel comfortable, and welcome among others, he wanted Otabek to become someone he could spend time with without his parents getting frustrated.

Most of all however, Yuri wanted to be for Otabek what Viktor had been to Yuuri. When Yuuri had explained that meeting Viktor had been the thing to help him find his Soul Animal, Yuri had felt his heart sink. He'd known Otabek for quite some time — Yuri spent practically everyday with him, and he'd been there for Yuri's first heat, and yet, nothing; none of those times had triggered anything in Otabek. As far as Yuri was concerned, it seemed he wasn't Otabek's person, and that simply wasn't fair, not at all.

If he was going to be the one to help Otabek find his Soul Animal, wouldn't it have happened by now? The way Yuuri spoke, it seemed as though he had found his Soul Animal almost immediately after finding Viktor. Maybe he should've asked them to clarify. Though it didn't really seem to matter. Otabek was never meant to be his mate, and at this rate, he probably was never going to be.

Yet, these thoughts made his heart ache more than anything else. Yuri felt his palms grow sweaty as he thought of how amazing Otabek had smelled when he had been in heat. He had thought it was just his head at the time, playing a trick on him, but Otabek's faint scent had never really disappeared, something Yuri knew he'd have to erase from his mind now.

The breeze blew around his long blond hair, and he felt a shiver roll through his spine. It was colder, higher on the hill, and he was regretting leaving the warmth of the inn, but he couldn't go back and face Otabek yet. Not now, knowing he could probably never be with him in the way he wanted.

"Hello! Yurio!!" A voice called from behind him, and Yuri let out a soft groan when he saw the happy man with silver hair walking up behind him.

"Yurio?" he grumbled. "My name is Yuri."

"Well, my mate is named Yuuri too, so I gave you a cute little nickname to differentiate you both." Viktor smiled, his bushy white tail swaying back and forth.

Yuri wrinkled his nose, his ears folding back against his head. "No thanks. No nicknames."

Ignoring him, Viktor continued to speak. "You shouldn't be out here you know! The later it gets, the colder it will be on the hill. Come relax in the hot spring," he said, gesturing back towards the house, the same smile on his face.

"No thanks," he grumbled. "I want to be alone."

"Ah, because of your friend?" Viktor asked, taking a seat next to Yuri. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid. This stranger knew absolutely nothing about him, and he didn't like his cheerful demeanor, not right now when he was trying to wallow in his frustrating feelings for Otabek.

"Yes," Yuri muttered, rolling his eyes. "We came all this way for nothing!"

"Otabek seemed happy with the information he learned," Viktor hummed. "It seems you're the only one disappointed."

"I'm sure Otabek is more upset than he let on!" Yuri snapped. "We came here hoping to find a way to get him a Soul Animal! And we didn't do that at all!"

"Well, you learned new information!" Viktor smiled. "Ah, but that's not good enough for _you_ because you love him right?"

Yuri's face turned bright red, and he moved away from Viktor. "W-What?! N-NO!" he yelled.

"You were hoping that once he found his Soul Animal the two of you could possibly be mates, but you're worried you're not the person for him now, after seeing me and Yuuri," Viktor grinned knowingly.

"W-What the hell do you know?!" Yuri growled, standing up. His yellow tail flicked back and forth angrily.

"I know I'm probably right," Viktor hummed in his sing song tone. "It's okay, it's like Yuuri said! We don't know enough about Soulless people to know what triggers them to getting a Soul Animal. It could very well be different for Otabek."

"Whatever," Yuri grumbled, folding his arms.

He wasn't sure when they had happened exactly, his feelings for Otabek, but ever since his heat, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. Yuri wanted to spend all his time with him, and he wanted to see Otabek smile, to feel comfortable. Okay, maybe he did have some sort of feelings for him. It was possible, just a little possible, Yuri Plisetsky loved Otabek Altin.

His face flushed, and he glanced back at Viktor's smiling face. Idiot dogs, they were far too cheerful for Yuri's taste. Or maybe it was simply his cat instincts talking.

With a laugh, Viktor stood up, and placed a gentle hand on Yuri's shoulder. "All you have to do is support him as best you can," he smiled. "Yuuri is setting up the baths, and making dinner for the both of you, hopefully you'll join us."

Yuri hated this guy, and he hadn't even known him for 24 hours.

"Yeah thanks," he grumbled, walking past him as he headed back towards the inn, his feet stomping on the swaying grass. He knew he probably should apologize to Otabek for storming out in the way he had.

"Wonderful!" Viktor said, following after him, though Yuri walked a little faster, not wanting to thank Viktor for his help.

~~

"This will be your room! Yuuri smiled, opening one of the sliding doors for Otabek. "We've set out two beds, one for you and one for Yuri-Ah!" Yuuri paused, his ears standing up. "If you'd prefer separate rooms, I can set up something else though!" he spoke quickly, as though he'd made a horrible mistake.

"This is fine, thank you Yuuri," Otabek said, nodding his head to the distressed puppy.

"It's my pleasure," he said. "It's the least I could do, after not being able to help you further in other ways," he muttered.

Otabek waved his hand one time. "Forget it," he said flatly.

"I truly understand how difficult it is, being Soulless. People look at you different...and not having these," he gestured to one of his ears, "is a beacon, letting everyone know you're not normal."

Otabek nodded. "Indeed," he grunted, thinking of home. He thought of how terrible it was for his mother, and how people immediately had looked at her differently too, as if the way he had been raised had something to do with his Soullessness. Otabek didn't think she had anything to do with it. He had wanted to fix the problem if only for her, and then Yuri too. Once Yuri had started spending time with him, people had looked at him differently as well, and Otabek was well aware of Yuri's parents distaste for him.

Yuuri sighed, rubbing at his arm. "I was so desperate to find someway to fix this stupid problem, I would've done anything," he chuckled. "Though it sounds like you did tons of research! Way more than I did." After Yuri had left, Otabek had spent a little time explaining to Yuuri how similar their experiences had been, only unlike Yuuri, Otabek had yet to find a solution to the problem. 

"Never found anything though," Otabek shrugged. "You're the closest I've gotten to a real answer." If Otabek could even call it that. Finding his Soul Animal seemed to be...a personal journey. "I was desperate in the past too, now I've...come to terms with things a bit more."

"If I could help more I would," Yuuri bowed.

"I do appreciate it. I appreciate all you've done," Otabek said, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Dinner should be ready shortly," he said, "But take all the time you need. I'll send Viktor here to get you both when you're done. Hopefully Yuri will be back by then."

"He never leaves for very long," Otabek chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be starving, knowing him."

"Of course. Well, I'll leave you be," Yuuri bowed for a final time, leaving Otabek alone in the room.

He was concerned about Yuri, of course, but Otabek was a little thankful for the peace and quiet of the room. There was a lot he wished to think about, in regards to what Yuuri had told him. He hadn't been lying when he had said Yuuri's story was the closest he had come to learning anything of value about finding his Soul Animal.

It was possible he hadn't met the right person yet. Though when he thought that, he immediately pictured Yuri. If anyone was going to be the person for him, it felt like it should be Yuri. He was drawn to his scent, just as Viktor had been to Yuuri...but Otabek was a Beta, and technically, it shouldn't have been possible. Still, he'd been around Yuri for quite sometime now, he'd even experienced Yuri dealing with a heat, but nothing had changed for him. Wouldn't he have found his animal by now if Yuri was going to be the person to do help him?

Disappointment washed over Otabek's body. Yuri had become someone special to him. He trusted him, and actually he looked up to him a bit. Yuri had a passion, a fire Otabek could never match. Hell, the whole reason they had gone on this adventure in the first place was because of Yuri. Maybe Otabek needed to ask Yuuri when he and Viktor met, and how long it took before they were able to become mates.

Otabek sighed, flopping onto the futon on the ground. He stared up at the ceiling, looking at the small lines which stretched the length of the small room. It hadn't seemed as though it had taken Yuuri very long after meeting Viktor. Perhaps he and Yuri were way past the point where Yuri could actually help him. And Yuri had already experienced his heat, which hadn't changed Otabek in anyway, so if he were going to become an Alpha, wouldn't that have been the perfect time to do it? He would've claimed Yuri as his own mate.

He grinned, thinking about Yuri as he kept his gaze towards the ceiling. He remembered staring into Yuri's green eyes when they had fallen over. How beautiful Yuri looked against the moonlight shining through the sharp branches of the forest trees. Holding his hand up, Otabek remembered how silky Yuri's hair had felt against his fingertips, how desperately he had wanted to kiss him in the moment. He could only imagine how soft Yuri's lips were, how hot his breath would be against his lips.

He chuckled softly, thinking about how he adored how fluffy Yuri's ears were, and he wondered what it would be like to run his rough fingertips down Yuri's smooth back, feeling every curve of Yuri's spine until he reached his soft yellow tail. The idea made him shiver, made him remember how good Yuri's sweet scent was. It made Otabek's face heat up, and he knew it was wrong...but...

He couldn't deny the feelings any longer. He wanted to protect Yuri, he wanted to spend every minute with him, he wanted to watch his passion flourish. He loved him.

He loved Yuri Plisetsky. He loved his passion, his strange outbursts of anger, and his oddly clingy loyalty. Yuri was the only person who never cared about who Otabek was, and he was grateful.

It would never work though, as long as he was Soulless. Yuri's parents would never let it happen. They were too important to let their only son be with a Soulless Beta...and Otabek knew it wasn't very fair to Yuri. He would never be able to satisfy the Omega properly when he was in heat, and they could never officially mate. Yuri would seem un-mated to any desperate Alphas — it had the potential to be extremely dangerous.

Clenching his hands, Otabek sat up. Maybe Yuuri was right, maybe he had to go and find his Soul Animal, actually meet with whatever creature he was meant to have, or maybe it would take longer for Yuri to awaken Otabek's Soul Animal. Maybe for them it wouldn't happen right away. All people were different, fell in love in different ways, why was this any different? Yuuri did say the Elders didn't know enough about Soulless people to really say there was only one set way for them to find a Soul Animal. Maybe there were multiple ways.

It seemed difficult and tedious to search, with how many creatures there were in the world, but in the end...if he did it, it could be worth it. If he found his Soul Animal, it was possible he'd present as an Alpha...and then he and Yuri could be mated, if Yuri wanted to. He had come to Otabek on the night of his heat after all. There had to be some sort of reason for that, right?

Licking his lips, Otabek nodded his head one time. He had made up his mind. He had to talk to Yuri when he returned, but he was going to go look for his Soul Animal. Yuri could come if he wanted, but Otabek wouldn't force him. He would make the journey alone if he had to, he could make his own path, do things _his_ way, as he always had. Even if it took years, he would find his Soul Animal, he'd do it for himself, for his mother, but most of all, he'd do it for Yuri. 

~~

"Where is that _son_ of mine?!" Yuri's father bellowed, as he stormed about the house. "He's been gone for almost two evenings now — where the hell did he go?" he snarled.

Nikolai snorted. "This is what you get for being so angry around your own son. I'm sure Yurochka is fine. He's a smart boy." The two of them were too similar, too angry for each others own good. Nikolai was never sure where the rage had come from, as both he and his late wife had never been angry people. They had had their fights, but never like his son and grandson.

"No," Yuri's father snapped. "I am most certain he is not a smart boy. I am however, sure he went to see that Soulless boy after I told him not to."

"Aren't they friends?" Nikolai asked. Though he knew there was no stopping his son when he grew this angry. Yuri and him shared the same temper, one Nikolai had expected them both to outgrow. Neither had.

"Friends? Friends!? A Soulless boy would only be friends with someone like Yuri if it meant that he could help him rise in status."

"Dear," Yuri's mother whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Please calm down."

"No. He's been gone for almost two nights. No one has seen him...The Soulless boy. Has he been around?"

"No one has heard from Otabek Altin in a while, which isn't unusual...he does keep to himself," Nikolai began.

"He took him," Yuri's father muttered softly, ignoring Nikolai. "This Soulless boy. I'm sure he took him. He's kidnapped my son, and he's going to go hold him for a ransom."

"You're being ridiculous, you don't know-"

"I _do_ know!" he yelled, glaring at Nikolai. "And Yuri is an Omega. He's weak and it would be easy to capture him. Everyone knows the Plisetskys have money and status in this town. Plus he looks like a Plisetsky, his hair and eyes are unique to our clan. I'm certain we'll be getting a note demanding we pay up if we want him back."

Biting on his lip, Nikolai stood up from the table, slamming his hand down. "I don't know when you turned into this person who only cared about status and money, but I've never been so disappointed in you. Yurochka isn't weak, he's strong-willed, hard working...just like you. But you're so focused on the fact that's he's an Omega, you can't seem to notice how similar you both are. I'm sure wherever Yurochka is, he plans to come home soon, and if he doesn't you have no one to blame but yourself."

Growling, Yuri's father's tail flicked back and forth angrily. "I will be sending Alphas after him to hunt him down. Damn idiot should've mated at the last ceremony, then this wouldn't be a problem. His Alpha would've protected him."

"Please, you're getting far too angry, love," Yuri's mother pleaded. "It's not even been two days! Wouldn't you rather Yuri be happy with whoever he choose to mate with? If he and this boy are friends, I'm sure he's safe."

"Enough!" Pursing his lips, Yuri's father flicked his gaze between his own father and his wife. "I will get my son back by whatever means possible, and if it turns out that Soulless boy is the one who took him, he will answer to me and our family." Storming out of the room, he slammed the door behind himself.

Yuri's mother sighed. "I don't know what to do with him. I know he's worried, and of course I am as well...but I don't think Yuri has poor judgement...if he's friends with this boy, and he's with him right now...I'm...certain he's fine. He should at least wait for a ransom note before deciding this is a kidnapping. He always flies off the handle."

"I will never understand where it comes from," Nikolai groaned. "But once he and Yurochka put their minds to something, there's no swaying them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO SO Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I had a few SUPER BUSY WEEKS with like 0 free time to write. But I am back and happy to be back!! My bae is visiting me this week, so it might be like a week and a half before the next update, but I'm going to try and update regularly again! I hope everyone continues to enjoy the direction this story goes in!!! thank you SOOO much for 200 kudos AND for so many WONDERFUL comments!! Thank you for the support on this fic and thank you to my beta, Adriana for reading SO FREAKING FAST!


	7. Chapter 7

When Yuri arrived back at the inn, he immediately saw Yuuri sorting through some papers on the front desk.

"Ah, Yuri!" he smiled, waving. "I already set a room up for you and Otabek, I believe he's up there already. If you'd like to take a bath we could-"

"No thanks," Yuri snapped, cutting Yuuri off. "Forget it. I just want to see Otabek."

Yuuri let out a sad chuckle. "Of course. He's in room 24 on the second-" But Yuri didn't hear what Yuuri had to say, as he stormed away, heading for the stairs. He didn't want anything to do with Yuuri or Viktor, not anymore. He'd had enough of them. All Yuri wanted was to speak to Otabek and offer him his support. Yuri hated that Viktor was right, but he knew he couldn't let Otabek be alone right now, not after everything he had learned, even if it did upset the blond.

"Beka!" he called out, slamming the door open, and he immediately blushed, covering his eyes when he realized Otabek was standing in the middle of the room in only a towel. A tiny towel. Yuri couldn't recall ever seeing Otabek so...revealed. They had slept in the same place and spent a great deal of time together, but seeing him now, shirtless, in such a small towel which barely covered any of his thighs...

Yuri hadn't realized how muscular Otabek was.

"Yura?" Otabek's voice broke Yuri of his trance and he lowered his hands, only to keep his gaze fixated on Otabek's face. He was staring so hard he was sure Otabek could tell. "You okay?"

"Oh...Yeah...Yeah," Yuri chuckled, keeping his eyes upwards. "Just, uh, wanted to come back to the room and talk to you."

"Do you want to take a bath? Yuuri left a towel out for you." Bending down, Otabek grabbed the folded white cloth, and handed it to Yuri.

"A public bath?" he choked out.

Otabek snorted, attempting to hold back a small laugh. "You don't have to."

"No. It's fine!" Yuri scoffed, leaning forward to grab the towel from Otabek, as he stormed into the bathroom to change. Slamming the door behind him, he yanked off his shirt and pants, tying the small towel around his waist. He pulled his hair back up into a small ponytail. It would probably be a little awkward to sit naked in a bath with the boy he'd just realized he was in love with, but Yuri felt dirty after sleeping in the tent they'd pitched the night prior. He was desperate for a bath. He probably could've asked for a more private experience, but Yuri didn't want to lose anymore time with Otabek, especially if Otabek was going to need find someone else to help him find his damn Soul Animal.

The thought alone made Yuri's blood begin to boil yet again. Growling, he flicked the tip of his tail back and forth, most of it unable to move due to being covered by the damn towel. The tiniest towel in the world.

"Okay, okay," he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest after he'd pulled the door open. "Let's go."

With a smirk, Otabek simply nodded his head once, and made his way for the door.

Once downstairs, Yuuri pointed them to the direction of the outdoor baths. It was a small rocky area, filled with a cerulean colored water. Steam rose from the surface, and when the cool air hit his back, Yuri's ears folded against his head, a shiver rolling through his spine. "Dammit, it's cold," he grumbled, watching as Otabek removed the towel and stepped into the heated water.

He let out an audible sigh, and leaned his head back against one of the rocks. "C'mon. It's warm in here."

Yuri felt his stomach do a flip flop, and Otabek's scent suddenly mixed with the rising steam of the water. Why the hell did Otabek always have to smell so good to him all the damn time, and why now especially? His breathing grew a bit shallow, and he felt the heat rise to his face. The best thing to do was to get in the water, and try not to think about it.

Taking a step forward, he hissed out, his ears standing on end as he stepped into the headed spring. He sat down, covering his naked body up, though it was impossible to see anything in the clouded water. He could feel his lower region twitch, especially as he would get a whiff of Otabek's delicious, flowery scent.

"S'nice," Otabek said softly. His head was still pressed against the back of a rock, his eyes closed.

Yuri pursed his lips, wondering what Otabek was going to do. Rubbing his hands together, a few ripples moved through the water. "Beka..." he began softly.

"Mmm?" he grunted, tilting his head up as he glanced towards Yuri.

Blushing, Yuri moved his fingers through the water slowly, watching as the liquid flowed over his fingertips. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmm..." he mumbled, pushing himself up, the water splashing around his chest. "I think I should be asking you that question," he chuckled.

"Eh!?" Yuri yelled, leaning forward. "Why me?!"

"You're the one who stormed away," Otabek teased.

Yuri's ears folded against his head, his blond bangs draping over his eyes, a few pieces falling from the ponytail. "Yeah, right..." he muttered. "I was just...I was just mad we came all this way and he barely gave you any information!" Yuri yelled.

Otabek sighed. "Yuuri gave me as much information as he possibly could." There was a silence between them, and Yuri wondered if Otabek was maybe just as disappointed as he was. If Otabek needed a person to help him find his Soul Animal, it certainly was not going to be Yuri. It was possible Otabek was being extra quiet for the same reason Yuri was being ridiculously mad.

"I guess..." Yuri scoffed. "I just thought...if we came here you'd find someway to get an animal and you'd be a...we could...you know-"

"Do you mind if we join you!?" A familiar, cheerful voice called from the entryway, Viktor walking in, his white tail wrapped around his waist to cover himself up. Of course they were here. Of course they would show up now right as Yuri was about to say something he'd been wanting to for quite a awhile.

"Ah! If you'd prefer privacy...you are our guests," Yuuri's timid voice called from behind Viktor.

"Nonsense, Yuuri! It's a public bath, we can all share. I'm sure they don't mind!" Viktor beamed, stepping into the water with a loud sigh, his mouth opening into a large smile.

"Don't mind at all," Otabek said, shrugging. He glanced at Yuri, raising an eyebrow when he noticed how tense the blond had grown. "You both are letting us stay here for free tonight. Can't complain."

Yuri's ears folded against his head, as he suppressed a growl which threatened to rumble in his throat. Sometimes Otabek was too nice.

"I do hope you both are enjoying the bath!" Yuuri smiled, taking his spot next to his mate. Viktor's tail immediately wrapped around Yuuri, and he kissed his head.

"It was better before this idiot showed up," Yuri scoffed, scooting away from Viktor.

"How mean, Yurio!" Viktor whined. "After we had such a marvelous heart to heart earlier!"

"My name isn't Yurio!"

"It's a nice nickname, Yurio," Otabek chuckled.

"You too, Beka?!" Yuri snapped. With each passing second, he felt Otabek slipping further and further away from him.

Everyone was smiling, minus Yuri. And everyone was looking at him after his outburst. He had been about to have a heart to heart with Otabek before Viktor had rudely interrupted them. Yuri wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone besides Otabek, and he had just worked up the courage to tell him how disappointing it had been to realize they might not be able to be together. Clenching his fists, he couldn't even enjoy Otabek's scent by himself any longer either. He was tempted to pull himself from the pool

"Forget it. I'm going to bed!" Yuri snapped.

"We can give you privacy if you want, Yuri-"

"No. No I just...No. I'm dead tired, we have to leave early tomorrow to head home, and my fingers are getting all wrinkled!" he said, slapping his hand against the water as he stood up and grabbed his towel. He covered himself up as quickly as he could. Being in the bath had been the opposite of relaxing, and all he wanted to do was curl up under the blanket and hide away from everyone.

~~

Otabek didn't stay in the bath for very long after Yuri left. Yuuri attempted to make light conversation with Otabek, but he wasn't very talkative, and it didn't take long for the two dogs to focus their attention on each other. Viktor was quite affectionate, and Otabek found himself to be a bit jealous. He smirked, wondering how Yuri would react if Otabek buried his nose into Yuri's long blond locks and nuzzled his head all sweet, the way Viktor often did to Yuuri. The blond would probably hate it, but Otabek knew he'd look cute.

He said goodnight to Yuuri and Viktor, rinsed off, and made his way back upstairs to his and Yuri's room. The blond was tucked under the covers of his futon, the blanket rising and falling with his steady breathing.

Otabek let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck and he pulled a shirt over his head. Yuri had begun to say something which sounded important, but Viktor and Yuuri had interrupted him. Otabek had been eager to learn why Yuri had stormed away so angrily. At first, he had assumed it was because Yuri was frequently angry over things he couldn't control, but if anyone was going to be more angry, it probably should've been him.

_"I just thought...if we came here you'd find someway to get an animal and you'd be a...we could...you know-"_

The words echoed in Otabek's head. They could what? Be together finally? Would it finally explain why he found Yuri's scent so damn amazing? Which had been rather annoying in the bath, the steam had mixed with Yuri's scent, and especially when the blond's face had grown flushed, Otabek was forced to lean his head back and close his eyes just to concentrate. It wasn't fair his nose could be so tortured by Yuri if he didn't even have the capability to be with him or mate with him.

It would be easier for him to look for his Soul Animal alone, not tempted by Yuri's intense smell. But...

He glanced towards Yuri and sighed. Being without him would be lonely. He'd miss Yuri's random outbursts and his rare smiles. The way his blond ears fell back against his head whenever he was frustrated or annoyed. And he'd miss how defensive Yuri got about him. The only person Otabek had ever met who was always on his side.

A smile appeared on Otabek's lips. It was nice actually, having someone like Yuri care so much about him. Swallowing, Otabek lay down in bed, pulling his own blanket over his head. He hoped that whatever happened, whether he found his Soul Animal or not, he prayed Yuri would still be his friend. He'd be sure to ask him about it in the morning, and thank him for caring so much.

However when he awoke in the morning to a loud crash, he was surprised to see Yuri had already gone downstairs. This, in turn, made Otabek leap out of bed, wondering if the source of the crash had indeed been Yuri causing Viktor and Yuuri issues. Dashing downstairs, Otabek immediately headed towards the kitchen attempting to find the source of the sound.

The scene directly in front of him was one he hadn't expected. Yuri was sat at the table, undisturbed. Yuuri, on the other hand, was on the ground, being crushed by Viktor and a handsome blond.

A tan boy stood off to the side, holding a large sketch book in his hand, and he had pulled out a pencil. The tiny round ears on the top of his head twitched as he scribbled down a picture of the scene in front of him. "Guys stay still!" he giggled, still drawing, though the attempt to keep them from moving was futile.

"P-Please!" Yuuri called out, but the two other men ignored his pleas. "We have guests!"

Shutting the door, Otabek cleared his throat, and took a seat next to Yuri.

"You're awake," he grumbled, looking positively annoyed. His ears twitched back and forth, and he was mostly playing with the food on his plate, moving the eggs around from side to side.

"Mm. I assume...they know them?"

"Ah! Sorry!" Yuuri called out, reaching forward with his hand. He grabbed at the side of the table and yanked himself up. "Please forgive our rudeness," he bowed. "These are our dear friends, they usually stop by for breakfast every weekend, but Viktor and I were on vacation last weekend so they're...very excited we're back."

"Hello! I'm Chris," the tall blond said smiling. He waved happily, flicking his long ears back and forth. They looked like horse ears, which made Otabek's eyes widen. He'd never seen anyone with a horse Soul Animal. "We already met blond, grouchy, Yuri. What's your name?"

"Otabek, nice to meet you," he said quickly, bowing his head.

"Ah! Let me grab you some breakfast!" Yuuri said, and leapt up, dashing back towards the kitchen. Otabek was about to stop him, but Yuuri had already dashed away.

"Hi! I'm Phichit!" The tan boy beamed. He lowered himself to the table and held his hand out, his tiny ears twitching happily. They looked like some sort of rodent ears, maybe a mouse, no...probably a hamster. Otabek reached forward and shook his hand once. "Yuuri and I have been best friends since we were kids! I really enjoy sketching things but usually they don't stay still enough for me to actually get the full picture," he sighed, his ears folding downwards.

"Ah since you were kids?" Otabek questioned.

Phichit nodded. "Yeah! Oh! I bet you're the one who is Soulless, yes?" he asked, leaning over the table excitedly.

Otabek nodded, glancing towards Yuri. He had been surprisingly quiet during all this, and he still looked incredibly annoyed. Turning back towards Phichit, Otabek nodded. "That's me."

"Yuuri used to be Soulless until he met Viktor," Phichit nodded.

"We know," Yuri grumbled. "That's why we're here." Yuri stabbed another one of his eggs

"Oh. Well, he helped him a lot. Poor Yuuri was so shy before! But now...well, you can see he's much happier!" Phichit said

"You could say Viktor used to be Soulless before he met Yuuri," Chris teased, nudging Viktor's shoulder.

Viktor's face transformed for a brief moment, twisting into a softer smile. Otabek was used to him smiling wide, his mouth taking up the majority of his face. But this smile was different. His blue eyes shimmered against the gentle lighting of the room, and his lips curled up into a genuine smile. "You could say that. Yuuri saved me as much as I saved him. Actually," he sighed softly. "I sometimes think he helped me more than I helped him. I know being Soulless was difficult for him but I..." Viktor trailed off and smiled again, the wider open smile Otabek was used to. "I'm happy I found him!"

"I'm happy you found him too," Chris chuckled loudly.

Yuuri returned from the kitchen, and placed a small plate in front of Otabek. "Viktor always says things like this, but I don't know how true it could possibly be." Otabek took a few bites of the breakfast, realizing he'd actually been quite hungry.

Admittedly, it was cute, how in love Yuuri and Viktor were.

"Of course it's true, Yuuri!" Phichit snorted. "You both make each other happy. That's what's most important in love!"

Yuri slammed his hand down on the table, causing everyone to jump. "You people are all so freaking loud!" he snapped.

"Yuri..." Otabek frowned, finding Yuri's outburst to be hypocritical.

"You just keep talking and talking and being all...gross together," he said, gesturing back towards Viktor and Chris.

"We're staying here for free, and they've given us nice meals, Yuri," Otabek said quietly, and calmly. "There's no reason to get angry over this...Please just be polite while we stay here..." Perhaps Yuri really was disgusted by love, or maybe the loud group had set him off. Otabek didn't really understand where the anger was coming from. Normally he could get a good grasp on why Yuri was frustrated, or where his anger was coming from, but for the past few days, Otabek was struggling to understand why Yuri was so angry on his behalf.

"Then maybe it's about time we left!" he snarled, storming out of the room. This was the third time this had happened in the past few days. And Otabek couldn't believe how rude Yuri had been during this entire visit. Perhaps the new environment had made him uncomfortable and thrown off his moods.

"..." With a sigh, Otabek watched Yuri's tail swish back and forth as he stomped out of the kitchen, leaving the group behind. Glancing around the table, Otabek saw how distressed Phichit looked, though Chris looked shocked by Yuri's outburst, Viktor only shrugged once. "I really am sorry," Otabek muttered. "I don't know why he's been so angry while being here."

"I'm sure Yurio has his reasons," Viktor chuckled, his tail wagging back and forth quickly. "He cares about you a lot, Otabek, and I think perhaps you're not seeing just how much."

It was possible Viktor was correct, and Otabek curled his palm into a fist. Yuri was right about one thing, they had to leave today, or at least Otabek had to. He was going to find his Soul Animal, and then maybe, just maybe...he and Yuri would possibly have a chance together. He wanted to find his Soul Animal for his own benefit, of course, but he also wanted to make Yuri happy, and keep him safe from shitty Alphas that didn't deserve him.

Putting down his fork, Otabek bowed his head. "It was very nice to meet you both, but I think I should go speak to him. Thank you for breakfast."

"Take your time," Yuuri smiled. "I know it's been...a difficult few days."

"Thank you," Otabek repeated, and made his way back towards their room.

~~

Yuri had reached his limit. He could only watch Yuuri and Viktor fawn over each other for so long, and he could only think about losing Otabek before the rage built up inside of him and threatened to escape. But with Phichit and Chris there, reaffirming everything Yuri already knew and hated about the situation, he couldn't do it anymore. It was far too much for him.

Otabek had looked disappointed, and that was probably the only thing that bothered Yuri about the whole damn situation. He didn't like upsetting Otabek, and while he knew all this was far harder for him, it didn't change Yuri's frustrated heart.

There were a lot of things that should have been. Yuri should've been an Alpha. He should've been a big strong cat, not some shitty Omega housecat. Otabek should've been his mate. They should've been together. But no matter what Yuri wanted, life didn't seem to care.

So now, he sat in their room, flicking his tail back and forth, thankful they were at least planning on leaving today. Now with their friends here, Viktor and Yuuri were absolutely unbearable. He was being childish, and he knew that, but he couldn't stop his temper from flaring up.

"Yuri?" Otabek's deep voice called out as he made his way through the doorway.

"You didn't have to follow me!" he snapped. "If you were having fun with them you could've stayed down there," he grumbled.

Otabek let out a small sigh and took a seat next to him. "I wouldn't have fun knowing you were so angry."

There was a long silence, and Yuri knew Otabek was probably wondering why he had left so quickly, though he wasn't the type to outright ask.

"I...I just couldn't listen to them," he grumbled finally. "They talk about being Soulless and how happy everyone is now, but they offered you no real solution, so yeah, it's great that everything worked out for stupid Yuuri, but what about you. It seems insensitive!"

Otabek shrugged. "I don't know about that. It gives me...hope," he whispered.

"HAH!?" Yuri yelled, turning to face Otabek. "You _like_ watching them!?"

"Kind of. It makes me think it's not hopeless. Maybe one day I will find my Soul Animal," he said quietly.

Yuri swallowed. Maybe one day he would find his Soul Animal? Did that mean Otabek was perfectly okay with finding someone else who would help him? Someone besides Yuri?

"Right. Yeah" Of course Otabek would be most concerned with that. The past three years of his life had been a living hell, dealing with how people viewed him and looked at him in regards to his Soulless nature. Finding a mate could always come later. It was more important for Otabek to be...normal, or so Yuri assumed was Otabek's thinking.

"It doesn't sound like it happened overnight for Yuuri," he whispered. "I think it is something that will take a bit of time."

"...Probably," Yuri agreed, his tail swishing back and forth.

"I wanted to talk to you about this, actually," Otabek continued.

"About what?" Yuri asked. Otabek's eyes were dark, but they twinkled with an intense determination. Something Yuri hadn't seen in quite some time.

"About my Soul Animal. I'm going to go looking for it."

"Go...looking for it?" Yuri asked.

Otabek nodded once. "Yes. I want to find it, have a Soul Animal and then return home. I don't...want to go back until I do."

Yuri blinked. Otabek didn't want to go home? Where the hell was he planning on going?! Just where did he think he was going to find his Soul Animal?

Before he could stop to think anymore, he opened his mouth, blurting out, "Where...are you going to go?! I'll come with you!"

Otabek stared at him, but shook his head back and forth slowly. "No, Yuri. You can't come with me. It's not safe."

"Not safe?! What the HELL Otabek?!" Yuri snapped, standing up immediately. He clenched his hands into fists. Was Otabek going to go off on his own really? "I came with you here!"

"I know," he whispered. "And I do appreciate your company, but...who knows when your next heat will come, and if we're out in the world...who knows what could happen to you. I'm not an Alpha, Yuri, I can't protect you."

"Who cares?! This is you we're talking about and I...you are...you're my best friend. My _only_ friend!"

"Yuri, please. This is something I need to do by myself," Otabek said. "You're...my..." he paused, letting out a sigh as he closed his eyes, "best friend too...and I can't bring myself to be like this anymore. I have to fix it, now that I know it's possible...I will. I will make my own path and get my Soul Animal in my own way. And I won't put you in danger."

Otabek was speaking a great deal, which was rare. Yuri knew he was serious. Otabek was going to do whatever it took to get his Soul Animal, and it wasn't going to involve Yuri. They'd come so far together, and Yuri had been the one to assist him up until now, so why? Why the hell did Otabek want to leave him behind now? Keeping him safe seemed like a lame excuse. Maybe he just didn't want Yuri around whenever he met the person who would be the one to help him find his Soul Animal. All along, it had never been Yuri.

"You won't put me in danger?! That's such bullshit, Otabek!" he growled. "You wouldn't put me in danger if I went with you! I can take care of myself!"

"Yuri, we both know that if you hit a heat you-"

"I'll what?! What?!" he snapped, hissing his words out. His ears folded back against his head. "Fine, Otabek. Fine. Forget it. If you don't fucking need my help then I don't have to fucking stay here!" he growled, grabbing his bag. "I'll go home and be 'safe' or whatever the fuck you think I need, since _you_ obviously don't need me!"

Snatching his bag off of the floor, Yuri stormed out of the door, only hearing a snippet of what Otabek tried to say in protest. "Yuri that's not what I meant-" Otabek could've said anything in that moment, and Yuri wouldn't have believed a word he said. Otabek had made it very clear he was moving forward without him.

As Yuri made his way out of the inn, he didn't even say goodbye to Viktor, Yuuri and the others. Yuuri called out to him, but Yuri ignored him. All he could focus on was heading back to the path which led him exactly where he didn't want to be. Home and alone, without Otabek.

~~

He should've expected Yuri to take it badly. Yuri hated being weak, and he hated seeming like a fool, and Otabek had made him feel both of those things. Still, he knew he had made the correct decision. He couldn't put Yuri in danger, and even though he wasn't too pleased with Yuri making his way back home alone, he knew it would be better than him coming with him and potentially hitting his heat in a few weeks and getting hurt or mated by some unknown Alpha.

Sighing, Otabek began to pack up his own things. He really hadn't expected their conversation to go so terribly. He had wanted to explain to Yuri that he was hunting for his Soul Animal for him. If he was lucky he would be an Alpha and then they could be mated, however, Yuri hadn't given him a chance to confess his feelings. Maybe he should've started the conversation with that. Yuri was always so heated, it often threw Otabek off and made him flustered, completely unable to focus on what he had planned to say. Otabek had never been great with words anyway.

He rolled up the beds Yuuri had laid out for them, and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Perhaps Yuuri would let him take some food for the journey. Had Yuri taken anything? Otabek thought he probably had just rushed out without thinking about food. Hopefully he wouldn't be too hungry.

"Are you leaving too, Otabek?" Yuuri asked, standing behind the front desk when Otabek made his way to the front entrance.

"Mmm," he nodded, placing the key on the desk. "Yes. I assume...Yuri ran out already."

Yuuri nodded, "He did. I tried to stop him, and actually I thought maybe he'd come back after cooling down. Seeing you now, I can see that's not going to happen."

"Ah, yeah. He was mad."

"I could see that," Yuuri chuckled.

"I assume he didn't take any food then or anything?" Otabek muttered.

"No...he didn't," Yuuri admitted. His ears folded downwards, and he glanced towards the door where Yuri had dashed out earlier. "But would you like something for the road, Otabek?" Yuuri asked.

"That would be great," he said. "If you don't mind."

"Of course not! I hope Yuri will be okay though," he muttered.

"He's a fighter. I'm sure...he'll be fine." Yuri wasn't due for his heat any time soon, and he was surprisingly scrappy for a smaller boy, and cat.

"Well, they say times of stress can bring on a heat, especially in un-mated Omegas," Yuuri said softly, walking with Otabek towards the kitchen. "Did you two fight?"

"Mmm. He's mad I'm not taking him with me."

"You're not? Are you not going home?" Yuuri asked, scooping some rice into a small triangle.

"No. I want to find my Soul Animal. It's far too dangerous for him to come with me...but I wanted to do it so that..." Otabek trailed off. Could he tell these things to Yuuri, a stranger he barely knew. Sure, they both had something in common, but it seemed a bit silly to confess this out of the blue.

"You were hoping that Yuri would...be your Viktor," Yuuri finished, gently lowering the wooden spoon into the steaming pot of rice.

Otabek nodded. "I...I've always had an attachment to him. We've been friends for awhile now, and even though I'm a beta, his scent affected me during his heat...still does sometimes. It seems odd. But then when you told us your story....well I've been around Yuri for awhile now, and I still haven't received a Soul Animal. I thought maybe if I found one and became an Alpha we could still...be together," he explained.

"It's possible..." Yuuri said, placing some of the food into a small box to give to Otabek. "Like I said, it could be different for everyone."

Otabek nodded once more. "I know. I want to find out what I have to do. I don't want...Yuri to be alone anymore."

"Hmm..." Yuuri tapped his chin. "You know...Even though I met Viktor, I didn't get my Soul Animal right away."

"You didn't?" Otabek asked, taking the box of food from him. He squeezed his hand around it, his knuckles turning white as he clenched the box.

Yuuri pursed his lips, his tail wagging back and forth nervously. "Yeah...It took a bit of time. Actually I don't think it happened until after he kissed me one time."

Otabek stared at Yuuri. Why the hell had he not told him that before?! "...What?" he said slowly.

"Yeah, if I'm remembering right, we spent a good few months together before it happened. It's possible-"

"That I need to kiss Yuri to get my Soul Animal. He could still be..."

"Yeah!" Yuuri said, his ears perking up, his small tail wagging back and forth.

"Why didn't you mention it before?" Otabek grumbled.

Yuuri blushed, shrugging. "I...I didn't realize you and Yuri liked each other in that way until I was around you both for a bit longer."

"Right...I...I gotta go. Sorry," Otabek said, realizing he had to go after Yuri.

"He didn't leave that long ago, you should be able to catch up to him no problem," Yuuri said.

Otabek bowed, nodding his head to Yuuri. "Thank you. I appreciate all your help."

"You're always welcome here!" Yuuri smiled. "Viktor and I would be happy to have you back!"

"Thanks," Otabek repeated, waving once before running to the door. He had to catch Yuri. If they kissed, maybe Otabek would find exactly what he had been looking for. He just had to pray Yuri wanted to kiss him as much as Otabek had been dying to.

~~

The tall Alpha wolf turned his nose to the sky, his gray ears folding against his head. "I smell him," he growled, his gray tail flicking back and forth.

"Yeah..." the other Alpha said, a growl rumbling in his throat. "The forest reeks of cat," he said.

"Smells strong," he grumbled, running in the direction of the scent. "We can grab him, and drag him home. Thank god we're getting a good chunk of money outta this," he snorted.

"And who knows, if he's just an Omega, we could have a little fun," the darker wolf said, licking his lips.

"Good idea," the gray one chuckled. "A bonus, for all our hard work."

"Can you smell the Soulless one?"

The gray wolf turned his nose to the sky once more, taking in a large breath. "No," he said. "But who cares, even if he's there, we'll kill him anyway. Do our town a favor," he chuckled.

"You got that right," the black Alpha wolf agreed, wagging his tail.

"Let's hurry. I want to get this over with. It'll be better to catch them in the woods, that way we can be rid of the Soulless one easily."

"Good plan," the black Alpha said, letting out a howl as they ran deeper into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this! I was out of town, and had a few busy weeks, but I am back!! This story is coming to a close soon and I'm sad!! But still a few more chapters to go!! I hope people enjoy the direction it goes in! Thank you to Adriana for being the best beta as always!! <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning; This chapter has smut and Yuri almost being attacked.

Yuri ran. He ran as far as his legs could take him. He had shifted back down to his cat form, running through the town undetected. He didn't think anyone would've stopped him, but he didn't want anyone to stare as he sped up.

But now that he had made it back to the forest, he had shifted back to his human form, his hand curling against a tree. Sweat dripped from his brow, and he desperately fought to pull air into his lungs. His chest felt tight, his heart throbbing in his ears.

"Fuck," he grunted, panting heavily. He wasn't in terrible shape, but he hadn't run like that in such a long time. But he was angry, hurt, angry, frustrated, mostly just angry. How dare Otabek do this to him?! Yuri had been the one to suggest they come to this town. The entire time, he'd been supporting Otabek, helping him with this problem, and now, Otabek was going to deal with it on his own. But Yuri _wanted_ to help him. If he didn't need Yuri, then Yuri wouldn't wait around for Otabek. But he _wanted_ to wait...he wanted to have faith Otabek would find what he was looking for, and that _he_ would be the one to help.

And yet his chest felt tight from how much anger he felt. Damn Otabek, ditching him like this. He punched his hand against the tree trunk, hissing when his knuckles throbbed from the impact. He shook out his hand, glaring at the tree. "Stupid tree, stupid, stupid Otabek!" he yelled, feeling his chest tighten even more. "The least he could've done was come back home with me," he grumbled, though Yuri hadn't really given him much of an option to, especially with the way he had left so abruptly. 

Growling, he flicked his tail back and forth, his breath growing shallow. His knees trembled as he slowly sank down to the dirt. He was hot, a shiver running down his spine. It was like he was hitting his heat again, though it had barely been a few weeks?! It usually took at least a month for it to cycle around.

His face felt hot, and he let out a groan as he began to pant. Why was this happening? It wasn't even a mating night, but damn did Yuri feel hot. Maybe it was because he was still un-mated? No one had told him he would hit heats faster if he hadn't taken a mate...or maybe the anger had triggered something.

Either way, Yuri began to glance around the forest in fear. He was an un-mated omega, hitting some kind of heat, and if any Alphas caught wind of his scent he knew he would be in serious danger, and unable to protect himself. Shit. He hated being an omega. It made him feel damn weak, and the worst part was, he wished Otabek was here. Sure, Otabek wasn't an Alpha, but at least he wouldn't have been alone while he slowly succumbed to his body. If only he wasn't so damn weak-kneed, then he would've been able to fend off Alphas just fine.

A moan slipped from Yuri's mouth, as he turned his back against the tree, still trembling. If he was lucky, he could let some of the tension out, and he would avoid any Alphas. It was still early enough in the day, maybe people wouldn't be around. He could feel his scent leaking from his glands, his skin feeling familiarly sticky and sweaty.

The worst part was, all he wanted was Otabek. Once again, desperate thoughts began to consume him, and Yuri wondered what it would feel like if Otabek were here, kissing him, kissing his skin, and touching him. God it sound amazing, just imagining his fingers ghosting over his skin made Yuri shiver and quake.

"Fuck," he whispered. Yuri knew he had to get away from the main path. If anyone was walking by, he could be in serious trouble. Plus, it was embarrassing to be seen in such a compromising position.

Pushing himself up off of the tree, he stumbled more into the forest, away from the winding path. Maybe he could find some bushes to hide in, let the heat pass, and shift down to make it home. He was sure his parents would question why their son had hit a heat early, but Yuri's mind was growing so cloudy he didn't care.

He whimpered, stumbling along. He was such a damn idiot. Why had he fought Otabek and ran away? That was the opposite of what he had wanted to do! He had wanted to fight to stay with Otabek, and follow him on his journey. Why had he been so stubborn he'd run away? He should've been stubborn and stayed put. He was an idiot...he'd just been so damn angry. And he'd felt unwanted, and unneeded. Maybe Otabek was going to find someone else without him, but he should've argued to stay, and now it was far too late to go back. Who knew where the hell Otabek would be, and his heat was only getting worse.

"O-Otabek..." he mumbled, collapsing to the ground behind a few large trees. Panting, he let out a sighing moan. Thankfully, he'd made it far enough away from the road, so he could only hope he'd be safe.

However, it was as though his mind had spoke too soon, as he heard a branch crack loudly.

"I told ya'," a voice called out, causing Yuri to freeze, swallowing down through his tight chest. He brought a hand to his own mouth, his breath sounding obnoxiously loud in his own ears.

"It smells like him alright. I can't believe he'd let himself hit a heat out in the forest! Doesn't this idiot know anyone could find him out here?!"

The voices sounded so damn familiar, and Yuri bit down on his lip, trying not to growl. They were obviously talking about him, but who the hell were they?!

"Smells like this job is going to be way more fun than we expected," one of the voices called out loudly.

Yuri's nose twitched as the voices grew closer, their scents wafting into his nose. He immediately could picture them. The two large wolves from the night of his mating ceremony, but this time he was alone. What the hell were they doing here? Yuri felt his ears fold down against his hair. Emil wasn't here to save him, and neither was Otabek. He'd just have to fight them himself, he could fight through the heat. He wasn't a weakling, and he could prove that to these assholes.

He pushed himself forward, rising up on his toes, listening as they moved closer. If only he could've shifted to his cat form, unfortunately his heat prevented him from holding the form for long periods of time, even if he tried to run, he wouldn't get very far, especially if they shifted to their wolf forms. No, he had to at least try and fight.

"Good, I need a good time after all this damn walking," one of the voices grumbled. They were close, Yuri's stomach rose and fell quickly with his panting. His toes hurt, his body desperate to bend over to the first Alpha that approached. Their scents were strong in his nostrils, and he kept shaking his head, trying to maintain his sanity.

"Seems we got lucky." They were right by him now. A few more steps, and Yuri knew they'd be directly in front of him. Clenching his fists, he began to hiss, launching himself out of the bushes, towards the voices.

"Woah!" The black wolf yelled, dodging as Yuri dashed towards them, tackling the gray Alpha to the ground. He hissed again, swinging his fist down as he straddled the more muscular male. The gray Alpha moved his head, grabbing Yuri's fist. Yuri yanked his hand back, falling backwards off the wolf.

"Well, you came out of hiding!" the grey Alpha said, a twinkle of excitement in his eye. "It's kind of cute you think you, an Omega, can fight two Alphas," he snorted.

Yuri took a few steps back from them, watching the grey wolf stand back up.

"We've been looking for you, you little shit," the black wolf grinned. "Seems like you're in a bit of trouble and could use some help."

"I'm...fine..." Yuri panted, a growl rumbling in his throat. "Stay away from me. Why the hell did you follow me?" he grunted.

"Don't flatter yourself," the grey wolf waved his hand up and down. "It's not like we wanted to come after you, especially after you humiliated both of us during the mating ritual," he growled.

"Humiliated?!" Yuri snapped. "What...because I didn't want to be mated by disgusting Alphas?" he scoffed, his legs trembling.

"Your body doesn't seem to agree with you," one of them pointed out, gesturing to his shaky legs.

"Shut up!" Yuri snapped. "Just leave me alone! There are plenty Omegas you could have!" he yelled, clenching his fists as he stood defensive. If either of them lunged at him, he would try to dodge, or run as fast as his legs would allow him.

"Oh we're not here because we really _want_ to be," the black wolf said, a cheeky grin on his face.

Yuri's ears folded down on his head, and he took a step backwards, ready to run at a moment's notice. "What the hell are you saying?"

"We've been paid to bring you back," the grey wolf explained. "But there were no stipulations about what we could do to you while we searched."

"Who the hell is _paying_ you to bring me back!?" he snarled.

"Your father," the black wolf grinned. "Seems he thinks you got kidnapped, but you just ran away."

"My father?!" Yuri's ears twitched against his head. But...why...? Sure, he had snuck out of the house, but he hadn't been kidnapped...it was just...a vacation...of sorts. And it had barely been three days...

"Thinks that Soulless boy tried to take you away," the grey wolf shrugged.

Yuri hissed. "Otabek would never do such a thing! Leave me alone. I can get home myself," he snarled. "I'll show my father I'm just fine."

"No can do," the black wolf said, taking a step forward towards Yuri. Swallowing, he immediately took a shaky step back, about to fall over. "Y'see if we bring you back, we'll get a nice payment, plus you smell too damn good for us to let you go now," the black wolf said.

The black wolf began to dash forward, and Yuri turned to run, but he was immediately halted by the black wolf's hand around his wrist. His body heated up, the touch, though harsh, overwhelming his deprived body.

"Let...go...of me..." he panted, his blond tail flicking back and forth, as he struggled to pull his hand away. When the black wolf did not budge, Yuri planted his feet and swung a fist in the direction of the black wolf's chest, but was stopped by the wolf’s other hand.

Both wolves laughed. "Cute that you're so feisty, and willing to fight. But we're not going to let you get away this time," the grey wolf shrugged casually.

The black wolf yanked Yuri back and moved a hand up to his cheeks, squeezing as he sniffed at the air around his face. "Who would've thought that a shitty Omega like you would smell so damn good," he whispered. "I'm looking forward to enjoying you before we head back," he hummed.

"Get...the fuck away from me," Yuri growled, attempting to twist his wrist, but his legs were growing weaker. He let out a whimper as he felt them tremble beneath him. Why the hell had his father sent these assholes after him? Of course, he doubted his father knew anything about how the mating night had gone, besides being disappointed Yuri had come home un-mated. "I won't let you touch me," he growled.

"You won't have a choice soon. Your heat is growing stronger, and the second it hits you full force, you won't care who I am," he chuckled, squeezing Yuri's wrist tighter.

_"Yuri!_

It was almost like he was hearing voices now. A particular someone's voice he knew wasn't close by at all.

Slamming his eyes shut, Yuri knew the Alpha was right. But he knew he had to fight it, fight it as best he could, fight to keep his consciousness. "I won't let you...touch me," he hissed softly again.

There was a growl, and then a familiar voice spoke, "And I won't let you touch him either."

~~

Otabek was running. He was running as fast as his legs could possibly take him. He had to find Yuri and tell him it wasn't over. It was possible they could still be together, it was possible Yuri was the one he was _supposed_ to be with.

Yuuri had sent him off fast, knowing Otabek was eager to find Yuri and see if kissing him would make a difference. Otabek couldn't believe Yuuri had left out such an obvious detail. Of course, he and Yuri hadn't exactly been honest about their feelings for each other. However, Yuri had sort of implied them that night in the bath.

_"I just thought...if we came here you'd find someway to get an animal and you'd be a...we could...you know-"_

This was also in addition to how angry Yuri had gotten when Otabek had told him he wanted to search alone.

Currently, he was mentally slapping himself for that. He should've never let Yuri go off alone. He was a strong Omega, and _could_ take care of himself, but Otabek wanted to be there for him. Otabek wanted to take care of Yuri, even if he wasn't an Alpha...and he hadn't wanted Yuri to run off alone, unprepared.

He ran through the town, ignoring the stares from people. He knew he probably looked frantic, but he couldn't focus on anything but Yuri. He only prayed Yuri had headed home in the same direction they had came. Knowing Yuri, Otabek could imagine the idiot storming off somewhere random, in hopes of helping Otabek simply to prove him wrong.

Groaning, he ran faster, hoping he'd catch up with Yuri on the path. He also hoped he hadn't shifted down to his cat form, if he had, it was possible Otabek would miss him, and if Yuri was angry, he sure as hell wouldn't shift back to talk to Otabek.

Making his way up the path, he turned his nose to the air, seeing if he could smell Yuri. It was rare, but sometimes, he could pick out Yuri's scent, especially now he had made his way through the town. A small bit of Yuri's scent wafted into his nose on the breeze, though the scent was far more pungent than Otabek had expected it to be. He froze in place. It was almost as if...

_No..._

It couldn't be. There was no way Yuri had hit his heat. It hadn't been a full rotation yet...

_Well, they say times of stress can bring on a heat, especially in un-mated Omegas..._

Yuuri's words popped back into Otabek's head, and he swallowed, clenching his fists. If Yuri was in heat, alone in the woods, who knew what was happening to him. Swallowing, he began to run up the path again, keeping his nose turned up towards the air.

Yuri was an un-mated Omega, and if he was actually in heat now, Otabek knew the blond could potentially be in great danger. Any Alpha would be able to smell him almost immediately, and who knew what would happen. Yuri was strong, yes, but in heat he was automatically weaker, whether he wanted to be or not, and who knew what kind of Alpha could overtake him in the moment.

Panting, he dashed forward, Yuri's scent growing stronger by the minute. "Yuri!" he called out, but there was no answer. Panic began to wash over Otabek's body, his breathing growing shallow and his heart pounding in his ears. He had to find him, he had to find him fast.

"Yuri!" he called out again, stopping finally when the smell grew even stronger, though it seemed to be coming from somewhere off the path. Had Yuri moved away from the path in case strangers would find him and possibly hurt him? It was actually a smart idea, Otabek couldn't exactly blame him for doing it, but the deeper into the woods he was, the harder it would be to find him.

Yuri's scent was taking over Otabek's nose, and he could tell what he feared was definitely true...there was no way Yuri wasn't in heat. The scent was sweet, and tantalizing, just as Otabek had remembered it being a few weeks ago. Damn, he had wanted Yuri then, and he wanted him even more now. Groaning, he leaned against a tree, panting.

He imagined what he would do once he found Yuri. Maybe he would pause and kiss him right there. Yuri would probably be some form of desperate for contact. They would kiss, and kiss again. Then Otabek would have his Soul Animal and they could mate during the next mating ritual. The mental image was too good to be true, and Otabek quickly shook his head. This wasn't the time to be daydreaming about a hand life would most likely not deal to him.

"Yuri!" he called out once more, pushing through the bushes. The most important thing was find Yuri.

And find him he did. Following his scent through the trees, Otabek finally stumbled upon the scene he had not wanted to see...

There were two Alphas, wolves it looked like, both standing in front of Yuri. One had his hand wrapped around Yuri's wrist, and the other stood directly next to him, attempting to push him down. Squeezing his fists hard, anger immediately began to well up in Otabek's chest, rage taking over any thoughts he’d had before.

"I won't let you...touch me," Yuri hissed softly.

A growl erupted from Otabek's throat. "And I won't let you touch him either!" he snarled, stepping forward to swing a punch at the black wolf’s face. His fist connected, sending the black wolf flying backwards, his body falling to the ground as he let go of Yuri.

"O-Otabek..." Yuri panted, falling down, but he ignored Yuri's soft greeting. Lunging forward, Otabek let out another large yell as he tackled the gray Alpha back down to the ground, punching at his cheeks, back and forth. He wanted to destroy these two for ever laying a hand on Yuri, and he wanted to do it fast, at least before either of them thought to shift.

"It's that Soulless boy!" the black wolf shouted. "What the hell is he doing here?!" he snarled. "He doesn't even have an animal, we can take him."

The gray Alpha let out a whimper as Otabek punched at his cheeks and shoulders, not wanting the wolf to move. But Otabek was interrupted when he was tackled to the ground by a large black wolf. He hissed as he felt claws dig into his left shoulder, but he reached his uninjured hand over and grabbed a rock, slamming it into the wolf's head before he could land another bite or scratch.

The wolf yelped and fell backwards, rolling to the side as Otabek pushed himself up, clutching at his shoulder. Panting, he grabbed a large branch near the edge of the clearing, standing in front of Yuri. "Leave us alone. Leave him alone. You have no right to touch him."

The gray Alpha slowly rose up, spitting some of the blood from his slowly swelling lip. "Oh and you think you have the right to touch him? You're not an Alpha, Soulless."

"It doesn't matter," Otabek growled, gripping the branch in his hand. "He doesn't want you to touch him, and you should listen. Just because you’re Alphas and he's an Omega, doesn't mean you get to have your way with him."

"Beka..." Yuri's voice was soft behind him. Otabek could smell him again, the scent was delicious, and he could see why the two Alphas wanted Yuri...but it didn't change anything. It didn't matter that he wasn't an Alpha...Yuri didn't belong to them, and Otabek wasn't going to allow them to get any closer.

The black wolf lunged once more, and Otabek swung the branch, smacking the wolf in the face. He swung and kicked his foot at the now shifted gray wolf, causing both wolves to yelp in pain. Otabek growled. "I said, I won't let you touch him!" he snapped.

The black wolf limped forward, and shifted back to his human form. "It doesn't matter," he growled. "We're going to be taking him back to the village. His father hired us to rescue him from you."

"I don't...need rescuing!" Yuri panted from behind Otabek. "I chose to come with Beka!"

"Rescue him?!" Otabek yelled. "If anything, he should've hired me to keep _you_ from him. You wouldn't protect him!"

"Fine. We won't touch him," the black Alpha scoffed. "Just let us take him back. It's our money, we deserve to get paid." Next to him, the gray wolf shifted back to his human form and nodded.

"We'll leave you alone, just give us the Plisetsky."

"Never," Otabek said. "I won't let you touch him. Hell, I won't let you near him." His shoulder throbbed, the cut bleeding down his shoulder, still he didn't care. He wasn't going to let these two Alphas anywhere near Yuri.

Running forward, he swung the branch at the black wolf, missing as the wolf dodged, however, Otabek swung around, kicking his knee up as he jabbed into the Alpha's stomach, bringing his elbows to his back, he knocked him down. The gray wolf stepped back, a glimpse of fear crossing through his eyes as blood dripped down his chin. The black wolf coughed as he slowly pushed himself up.

"How the h-hell..." he moaned on the ground.

Otabek was stronger than he remembered, or maybe his rage was blinding him, letting loose as he worked to protect Yuri. There was no better reason than to fight.

"M-Maybe we could work something out," the gray Alpha stammered, watching his friend writhe on the ground.

"No," Otabek grunted. "Leave."

Snorting, the gray Alpha helped his friend up. "This...this won't be the last you hear from us, Soulless. You lost us our money," he growled, stumbling forward as he helped the black Alpha lean on him.

Otabek simply glared at him, not saying a word as he watched the two finally limp away.

Finally, he turned around and dashed back to Yuri. Kneeling on the ground in front of him, Otabek wrapped his arms around him, ignoring the pain from his shoulder. "Yuri," he panted. "I am so sorry, I never should've left you. Are you okay?"

"I...I think that's the fastest I've ever heard you talk," Yuri teased, panting heavily against Otabek's ear. "Are _you_ okay?" he asked. "You're bleeding."

"Eh."

"W-Why did you...come back?" Yuri asked. "I thought you were going to go find your Soul Animal on your own."

Otabek slid his hands up to Yuri's smooth cheeks. "I was wrong..." he whispered.

"Wrong?"

Otabek nodded. "I should never have sent you away," he muttered. "And Yuuri told me he didn't actually receive his Soul Animal until after he and Viktor shared a kiss...which....we never did." Otabek felt his throat grow dryer and dryer the more he spoke. Yuri's scent was prevalent once again, after having lost it during the fight, and Otabek felt his head grow dizzy.

"What? That idiot! Why would he leave out such a specific detail!?!" Yuri snapped, letting out a growl.

Otabek chuckled, shrugging. "I don't know. He didn't know we...well..." he trailed off glancing to the side.

Did Yuri want to kiss him? This probably wasn't the best time, since he was in heat and it could lead to...other things. If Yuri wasn't the one who could help Otabek, then Otabek would be unable to fully satisfy Yuri.

"Beka..." Yuri snorted. "Beka!"

"What?" Otabek said, turning back to be met with Yuri's green eyes. His gaze was passion filled, burning with a hint of anger. They were beautiful, one of the many reasons Otabek had fallen for Yuri.

"Are you going to kiss me or not?"

Blushing, Otabek cleared his throat. "Well you're in heat...and we're in the woods, and if your father is sending people-"

"I never thought I'd have to say this to you, Beka," Yuri snorted, "but shut up!" he snapped, leaning up to press their lips together, finally kissing for the first time, and Otabek's world completely stopped, time standing still.

~~

Otabek was kissing him, and Yuri had never felt so damn satisfied in his whole life. Otabek's lips were hot, and Yuri's hands slid around his neck, deepening the kiss. His heart race began to speed up, and his lips grew aggressive, nibbling and sucking on Otabek's. His hands moved all over Otabek, down his back, over his neck, cupping his cheeks to keep his lips close as he panted against Otabek's drying lips. He was needy, desperate. Otabek felt a bit sweaty, a product of their making out and the fight.

However, Otabek winced when Yuri's hand slid over his shoulder where one of the Alpha's had scratched him.

"Yuri, Yuri..." he panted between kisses. "Wait..."

His fingers ghosted over Otabek's shoulder again, not touching him. "Are you hurting?" Yuri whispered, trying hard to keep his cool. His own chest was heaving, and in his pants, his length throbbed hard.

"It's not bad," Otabek whispered, pulling his shirt to the side. "I can wrap it up." He was bleeding, but the wound hadn't cut as deep as Yuri thought. Ripping the torn sleeve off of his shirt, he wrapped it around the small wound, tying it tight.

Yuri's face felt hotter as he watched the muscles on Otabek's arm. They were pulsing under his skin, flexing as he pulled the cloth around tightly. Yuri couldn't help but lick his lips, rolling his hips upwards subtly in anticipation. He'd never wanted Otabek more. Sure, he knew he was attractive, but damn there was no one else Yuri could ever imagine being with.

Running his hand through his hair, Otabek sighed, glancing down at Yuri. His dark eyes looked concerned, and frustration began to boil in the pit of Yuri's stomach. He wanted nothing more than to have Otabek take him right here, right now, yet his eyes held a hesitation. "But Yuri, even if I do this, I won't be able to help...subside your heat."

"You'll help more than you realize," Yuri panted, sitting up enough to kiss him again, nipping at his lip.

"Maybe we should wait," Otabek said softly. He cupped his cheek, and Yuri felt his whole body shiver, Otabek's touch was perfect, and all he wanted was more.

"I don't want to," Yuri growled. "I've been waiting forever for this!" he exclaimed. "My body wants you, Otabek," he purred, his ears folding down against his head. He smirked, watching as Otabek's face lit up, completely red. Based on his reaction, Yuri knew Otabek was feeling the same. "I want to be yours," he said.

Otabek was staring at him now, his dark eyes never leaving Yuri's. "I want you to be mine," he replied, and leaned down, pressing his nose against Yuri's neck. Otabek's breath was hotter and more shallow than Yuri realized, and it thrilled him to know Otabek was just as affected by this as he was. "I do, I want it more than anything else," Otabek continued, and a moan slipped from Yuri's lips.

"Just...do it, Beka. It'll be fine, and...I...need it," he mumbled, pressing his mouth against Otabek's uninjured shoulder. He hated having to say that, that his body was so far gone at this point he was trembling against Otabek. But all he could see was Otabek, all he could smell was Otabek, and damn he smelled amazing.

Rolling his waist down, Otabek brushed their hips together, and Yuri's moan grew louder. "Yuri..." Otabek said, brushing his lips over his neck. "You smell amazing. Are you-"

"Don't you dare ask if I'm sure," Yuri snorted, nipping at Otabek's uninjured shoulder. "Can't you tell I'm dying here?!" he whimpered, and Otabek quickly nodded.

Yuri didn't know what to expect, he'd never thought much about sex before, and even being an Omega it wasn't something he really desired all that much. It was more that he desired Otabek, and wanted nothing more than for Otabek to satisfy him completely, and even if he said it wasn't possible Yuri had faith anything would be better than the pain he felt in his stomach right now.

His heat was taking over as Otabek kissed at his neck, and down his collarbone. His ass was trembling, and the bulge in his pants was so tight. "Beka," he whispered, his face flushed redder as his hips began to thrust up, desperate to brush against him. The embarrassment was slowly washing away as he let the pleasure roll down his spine.

With each kiss and touch, Yuri felt his body twitch and tremble against Otabek's, giving in to the feelings. His legs spread wide, the wetness of his bottom gradually increasing. He pressed his fingers against Otabek's back, moaning as he removed his shirt, the cool air making his nipples tighten. He had almost forgotten where they were, and even still he didn't care. They were far enough away from the path that any thoughts of getting caught were immediately erased from Yuri's mind.

"Hurry, Beka," he moaned, his fingers slipping under the edge of Otabek's pants.

"Yura," he whispered, running his fingertips down Yuri's panting stomach. "You look so beautiful right now. Let me...enjoy you," he said, feathering kisses down his belly.

"Ngh..." Yuri grunted, his back arching off of the ground as he felt his legs tremble as Otabek moved lower and lower. "I-I can't Beka!" he whimpered. "It's too much."

His head was spinning as he stared up at the sky, his hands burying into Otabek's hair. He let out a soft sigh, which gradually built to a louder moan as Otabek slowly slipped off his pants. His body was sweaty, and shivering, thankful his cock was finally released from his pants. He didn't even need to glance down to know he was hard.

"Your heat really is...strong," Otabek whispered, licking his tongue over Yuri's tip. Hissing, Yuri bit down on his lip, holding back a moan as Otabek dipped his mouth down over his cock completely.

"B-Beka!" he moaned, his toes curling against the ground, his back lifting up. He could've cum right then, Otabek's lips driving him insane. All he wanted was to roll onto his stomach, raise his ass up and present himself to Otabek. He wanted Otabek to claim him, and mate him completely, even though logically he knew it was impossible. "More," he squeaked, the words slipping from his lips.

But Otabek listened, he slid his fingers down, slipping two into Yuri's wet hole. He gasped, feeling his ass stretch as Otabek's fingers moved higher and higher inside of him. It wasn't painful, like he had expected it to be, instead, his ass welcomed the stretch, as if it had been missing being filled in such a way. He was panting, the stimulation from Otabek's fingers and lips driving him crazy. His hips twitched up towards Otabek's mouth and his ass pulsed, growing wetter around Otabek's fingers.

"Is it okay?" Otabek asked quietly, his lips kissing at the tip of Yuri's cock.

"H-Hurry," he said softly. "I need...I need more," he whispered. "I want your cock in me...not just your fingers," he growled, his ears folding back. The words he was saying were so shameful, embarrassing, something he never wanted to admit, and yet they kept pouring out of him.

The more Otabek stretched him, the more Yuri clung to him. He pushed another finger inside, thrusting into him, pushing against sensitive areas Yuri didn't even know existed. In his mind, he could only think Otabek's name over and over.

_'Beka...Beka...Beka...'_

"B-Beka please...Please give me you..." he said finally. "I can't take it..." It felt so wrong, so out of character for him to say such ridiculous things, but he needed it. He needed to feel Otabek throbbing and pulsing inside of him, he wanted their hips to snap and move together.

He whimpered when Otabek pulled back, his fingers leaving his entrance, but he knew it was going to be replaced by something even better. Closing his eyes, he waited, hearing Otabek pull his pants down. His warm hands cupped under Yuri's ass, lifting him up.

"Yura..." Otabek whispered, and Yuri opened his eyes swallowing. Against the setting sun, Otabek glowed, his dark eyes staring down at Yuri lovingly, his cock pressing against Yuri's bottom. They were about to be connected, it was everything Yuri needed, and yet Otabek had stopped. He sighed, his body leaning over Yuri's, "I love you," he said softly, and for a moment Yuri froze.

He blinked and raised his hand up to Otabek's neck, pulling him down into a heated kiss. His tongue was sloppy, pressing against Otabek's as he moaned quietly. Pulling away, he panted, pressing his forehead to Otabek's. "I love you too...I need you..."

And it was as though that was the only confirmation Otabek needed. He thrust himself inside, pushing towards Yuri. His ass felt so perfectly stretched, and he took Otabek in completely, moaning as Otabek began to roll his hips forward.

"Faster," he growled, desperate for Otabek to take him completely.

They moved together, Yuri's hips moving up to feel some friction as Otabek pumped into him. He slammed inside over and over, pushing against Yuri's prostate. He nibbled on Yuri's shoulder, his neck, his nipples, and Yuri was lost against Otabek. Otabek's scent, his lips, his body, everything felt completely engulfed by the other, and he drowned in him.

Yuri's moans grew higher and higher pitched, his body clenching around Otabek's cock. His body had been desperate for this since he'd become an Omega, and he wasn't going to be able to hold on for much longer.

Otabek was strong, pushing into him over and over, kissing at his body, and holding him close. He let out small grunts and pants, sweat dripping from his brow. Between that and his intense scent, Yuri would've almost believed Otabek was actually an Alpha. He wanted to beg for Otabek's knot, beg to be mated completely, but he knew it was impossible, and he bit his lip, holding his desires back. Either way, Yuri knew he wasn't going to last much longer.

"I...I can't...Beka..." he panted. "I...I'm cumming!" Yuri groaned, his ass clenching around Otabek's cock as he felt his sac tighten, his cum spurting from his tip. His body trembled, the waves of his heat pulsing through his body.

"A-Ah...Yu-Yura...t-tight..." Otabek grunted, his back arching as he buried himself inside, his release filling Yuri up. It felt amazing, to be filled, and Yuri panted desperately trying to catch his breath.

"T-Thank you...Beka..." he whispered, kissing him on the lips once more.

Otabek kissed down his cheek to his neck, licking at one of his scent glands. "Did it help?" he asked.

Yuri sighed, slowly nodding his head. "Just...stay here for a minute with me."

Otabek nodded too, clinging close to him. Admittedly, Yuri didn't want to move ever. He wanted to stay connected to Otabek for as long as he possibly could. If they never moved again, he wouldn't have complained.

~~

When Otabek awoke, he was happy to see Yuri sleeping peacefully next to him. There was a small part of him that couldn't believe last night had happened. Deciding they would wait until morning to head back to Yuri's house, they had set up the tent only to have Yuri hit another wave of his heat. So, Otabek helped him through it again. It had felt amazing, kissing and touching him, especially after wanting to for so long. He could’ve done it all night. He loved him, he truly loved him, and knowing Yuri felt the same made it even better.

But...with morning came a new day, and with a new day Otabek was out of the fantasy of the evening. He still didn't have a Soul Animal. He and Yuri had kissed, they had slept together, been connected in the most intimate way. They'd admitted they loved each other, and still, Otabek felt nothing.

And if he felt nothing, it meant he was still Soulless, which meant he was still a Beta, and couldn't be with Yuri...not completely.

There was no way Yuri's father would ever let them be together...and even if Yuri fought, eventually Otabek would imagine it would be impossible for him to even quell Yuri's heats. They would only get more intense the longer he remained un-mated.

Leaning over him, he gently ran his hands through Yuri's hair. He didn't understand why Yuri hadn't been the correct person for him like Viktor had been for Yuuri. It seemed to make so much sense...who _else_ could possibly help him but Yuri?

As much as he wanted to return home and stay with Yuri, he knew it wouldn't be possible. He could declare his love for Yuri in a variety of ways, but it would never change his status. He'd have to continue looking...and pray that Yuri would wait for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be completely honest, I didn't expect to put smut this soon, but the story kind of went in this direction! I hope you guys like it! I'm hoping to finish the last parts of this fic soon! I am so grateful to everyone who has been reading and sticking with me all this time! Thank you guys so much! :D <3 And SUPER THANK YOU to my beta, Adriana for reading this ahead of time as ALWAYS. I would be a mess without you LOL <3


	9. Chapter 9

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, Yura," Otabek sighed, packing up the leftovers from their tent.

"Why?" he pouted, his blond tail flicking back and forth.

"Because your father sent Alphas after you, and was willing to pay money to get you back. If you're going to go with me, you at least have to tell him where you're going," Otabek scolded.

Yuri puffed out his cheeks. He knew Otabek was right, and he couldn't rely always on Otabek if he hit another heat. If his father was really this paranoid, then it only made sense to prove Otabek was innocent. Especially if his father was willing to send Alphas of that caliber after him. Yuri shook out his body, his ears twitching.

"Fine," he muttered. Yuri hated when Otabek was right, but mostly he hated the idea of seeing his father in person. It was going to take all of him to not fight the man on the spot.

"It'll be fine," Otabek stated, sliding his backpack onto his shoulders. Moving towards Yuri, he cupped under his chin, and tilted his head up. "I'll be going with you. You won't be alone." Leaning down, he brushed their lips together, and though Otabek had quelled his heat the evening prior, Yuri felt a shiver run down his spine, his arms and legs tingling pleasurably. He knew there was no way he would get tired of kissing Otabek, and even when Otabek pulled away Yuri felt his lips wishing for more, missing Otabek's.

"Yeah...okay," he grumbled, yanking his bag up off of the floor. He slung it over his shoulder and reached forward to take Otabek's hand, holding it in his as they made their way back to the path, though at first, Yuri couldn't bring himself to look at Otabek.

His palm was a bit sweaty, and the longer they held hands the more sweaty it got. It wasn't like Otabek was his actual mate, but could Yuri, at the very least, pretend like he was? He squeezed his palm as they started walking towards the path.

Last night Otabek had said he loved him, and Yuri had said it back, and he'd meant it. Otabek hadn't said it again, but Yuri hoped it hadn't been something he'd just said in the heat of the moment. Though Yuri knew Otabek wasn't exactly the type to do something like that. Normally, he didn't say things unless he absolutely had to, and even then he usually meant what he said.

But still, Yuri wanted to say it again. To say it and mean it, and have Otabek say it back.

Turning to him, Yuri grabbed both of Otabek's hands.

"Eh...Yuri?"

"Beka!..." he swallowed, and quickly shook his head. "...Otabek!" he corrected, as though saying Otabek's full name would make a difference.

Otabek tilted his head, glancing curiously at the blond. "Yura?...Uh, Yuri?" he paused, mimicking how Yuri had greeted him.

Shaking his head, Yuri stared into Otabek's dark eyes. He didn't care that Otabek wasn't technically an Alpha. He didn't care that it would be difficult for them to be together, he didn't care that walking into his house with Otabek meant his father was going to be angry. He didn't care. "I love you," he said loudly. He squeezed both of Otabek's palms, his hands trembling, his green eyes shimmering with determination.

For a moment, Otabek looked shocked, as though Yuri had confessed something new. Maybe Yuri had imagined Otabek saying it before? He swallowed, slamming his eyes shut. "I love you. Alot! And I don't care about what people say about you,"

"Yura,"

"...and I don't care if you're forever Soulless."

"Yuri..."

"I just want to be with you and...and we don't even to stay in that dumb town!"

"...Yuri..."

"We could go anywhere, just the two of us and we can live together and just be together. Because I love you, Otabek! I want you to be my mate and no one else. Even if you can't officially-"

"Yuri!" Otabek said loudly, finally stopping the other.

"...What..." Yuri mumbled, opening his eyes. He could feel how red his face was, completely embarrassed by what he had confessed.

"I know. I love you too. I feel the same," Otabek chuckled, leaning forward. He brushed Yuri's bangs upwards, and gently planted a kiss on his forehead. "I appreciate your words," he said. "But I...I would feel better if I could mate you...as an Alpha. I don't want your heats to be as bad as they are...I want you to feel satisfied by me," he whispered.

Yuri sighed. "I already said I don't care about that stuff!" he snapped. "I don't need you to protect me Beka. If we're together, we can figure shit out!" he said, rolling his eyes.

"I know," he sighed. Yuri let go of one of his hands and began to drag Otabek down the path.

"But look, I know it's important to you to be all...protective Alpha and what not...and I know you want to not be Soulless and shit. So once we go say goodbye to my stupid father, we can leave again and go searching. And we won't stop until we find whatever it is you need to find, okay?!" Yuri said, pulling him along the path angrily, though it wasn't long before Otabek continued on, not resisting Yuri at all.

They held hands more gently, as they strolled through the woods. "I just...wanted you to know," Yuri continued finally, after a small bout of silence, "that I didn't care if you were Soulless for the rest of your life. There isn't anyone else for me, okay?"

"I know," Otabek chuckled, brushing his thumb over a few of Yuri's knuckles. "It was...very kind of you. If I have to spend the rest of my life being Soulless, I'd be...honored to do so with you," he said softly.

Glancing towards Otabek, Yuri smiled, practically beaming. "Then it's settled!" he smiled. "No matter what happens, we'll be staying together."

~~

The rest of the walk through the woods had been a pleasant one. For the first time in his life, Otabek didn't hate the idea of being Soulless. If he could be with Yuri as they were now, as they had been last night, he thought it wouldn't be so terrible. Walking with him, holding his hand, kissing him, everything with Yuri was better than Otabek could've ever imagined. The fact that Yuri loved him too, it was incredible.

However, as some of the houses loomed on the horizon, Otabek began to feel his heart flutter. They had to face Yuri's father, whether either of them wanted to or not. Otabek couldn't allow anything to happen to Yuri or any harm to come to him.

Yuri had been quiet for the majority of their walk back, and Otabek wondered if Yuri was perhaps just as nervous as Otabek was. Yuri was obviously more familiar with his father, and knew what levels of anger he could reach. Otabek sincerely hoped Yuri's father would take it out on him, not Yuri. After all, the trip had mainly been Otabek's doing.

"Do you want to stop by and see your mother?" Yuri asked, his voice a bit quieter than normal.

They had only been gone a few days, but admittedly, Otabek wouldn't have minded seeing his mother. Still, he knew it would only prolong the inevitable.

Otabek shook his head. "No, we should...go to your house first. It's imperative your father knows you're alright."

Yuri let out a huff of air. "Fine. Okay, you're right," he grunted, tugging Otabek's hand forward.

It was strange being back in town, the stares returning, especially now his fingers were intertwined with Yuri's. It had been nice, being in a completely different town where no one knew he was Soulless. Here he could hear the whispers again, and feel the stares at his back.

He wondered if Yuri's family had told the town Otabek had taken Yuri. Surely, they wouldn't want to admit that their son had maybe run away of his own volition. He was sure Yuri's father would've twisted the situation to fit his own needs.

"I've never been to your home before," Otabek muttered, making small talk as they moved forward, over the bridge on the main road towards the Plisetsky estate.

"Yeah. It's not great," Yuri muttered, clearly not wanting to speak on it more.

"It's...very large," Otabek said, as they walked towards the house. It wasn't exactly a compliment but Otabek wasn't sure what to say. He'd never seen Yuri looking so quiet. Though he could tell from the tension in his hand, Yuri was holding back his anger.

"Yeah. Let's go," he growled, passing under the main gateway to the estate. It was a tall, red arched gateway, with vines twisting up the side. Otabek had never seen such a lavish looking place, and he had always been aware of Yuri's status in their town, but he'd never realized just how well off he was.

Walking along the stone path, Otabek followed Yuri, expecting him to turn at some point. However, he didn't seem to be moving in any specific direction. On top of that, with each step, Yuri seemed to move slower and slower, as though he truly dreaded heading towards his home.

"Yurochka!"

Otabek turned his head quickly, seeing an elderly man walking briskly towards them.

"E-Eh!?" Yuri's face turned bright red as he turned towards the man, his tail flicking back and forth.

"Where the hell have you been?" he snarled, yanking on Yuri's ear. "Your father has been on a rampage about you being gone. He kept saying you were kidnapped! I tried to tell him otherwise but you know how he gets. Why did you not tell us where you were?!" he snarled.

Whoever this was, it was obvious to see that Yuri's temper ran in the family.

"I went with my..." he paused, his green gaze flicking towards Otabek, unsure of how to label him, "Otabek...to help him. I don't understand why that's such a damn big deal!" he snarled back, wincing as the man pulled on his ear more.

"To help him with what?!" the man glanced towards Otabek and paused, slowly letting up on Yuri's ear. "Ah...Otabek Altin," he muttered. "You are the Soulless one," he stated softly.

"We went to go look for his Soul Animal!" Yuri growled. "It was important to me."

"Did you find it?" the man asked, and Otabek glanced downwards, shaking his head. "Ah...Well, I would think that is something one can not easily find," he said softly.

"Oh, uh, Otabek this is my grandfather," Yuri gestured to the man, and Otabek nodded, holding out his hand.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. Yuri has told me a great deal about you," he said. Of all his family member's, Yuri's grandfather was the only person he had talked about in depth, as well as spoke fondly of.

"Yes, likewise," the man said, shaking his hand. "I'm Nikolai. Yuri cares for you greatly."

"And I him," Otabek said, taking Yuri's hand once more, squeezing it. "And I won't let anyone change that," he said.

Nikolai began to laugh. "I can see that. Though it's not me you have to worry about," he chuckled. The sharp ears on the top of his head flicked back and forth, as he reached forward, tugging on Yuri's ear gently this time. "My greatest joy in life is seeing my Yurochka happy," he said with a smile. "And clearly you are the person who makes him happy."

"Ah..." Otabek nodded, a small smile cracking on his lips. At the very least, Yuri's grandfather approved of them being together.

"Where...is my father?" Yuri asked clearly his throat. "I have to yell at him!" he snapped.

"Yell at him?" Nikolai asked. "Perhaps you should rethink that, he wasn't very happy you left without telling him."

"Yeah?" Yuri said. "Well I'm not very happy that he sent two Alphas after me who tried to kill Otabek and mate me against my will!" he said.

Nikolai's eyes widened, obviously he hadn't been expecting Yuri to present such intense information. "What?" he said, trying to catch his breath.

"The two Alphas my father sent after me...I don't know where the hell he found them, but if his goal was to have me mated to some shitty Alpha by the time I got back, he would've had his wish granted had Otabek not been with me," he growled.

Nikolai's brow furrowed, and shook his head. "That...son of mine," he growled, his tail flicking back and forth. "He's certainly lucky I'm as old as I am, otherwise we would not fight with simply words. Let's go, Yuri, Otabek," he said.

The three began walking towards what Otabek assumed to be the main house. It was larger than the other smaller houses which lined the stone path.

Upon entering the house, Otabek searched for signs of Yuri's parents, but among the many rooms and decorations, it was hard to tell which room was which. Most of the rooms seemed to be there for show, and Otabek silently mused that he couldn't imagine living in such a place. He would have no idea what to do with all the rooms.

The man was sat in the main room, which was large and filled with decorative furniture. His large ears twitched when he heard Yuri, Nikolai, and Otabek enter the room, and it was obvious to Otabek this man was Yuri's father. He stood, and his long blond hair fell down to his back, and his tail swung back and forth. His features were stronger looking than Yuri, his jaw intense, and his scent was that of a strong Alpha.

Next to him was a woman, equally lovely, Yuri's mother, Otabek assumed. Her long silver blonde hair was tied back into a decorative ponytail, braids twirling around her tall ears. Her eyes were a strong green, a color Otabek was quite familiar with.

"Father..." Yuri growled, his ears folding back as he clenched his fists.

"Yuri," his father frowned. "I'm glad to see you made it home safe-"

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" Yuri snapped, stepping forward.

His father's eyes widened, and he looked as though he were in shock. "...Excuse me? Yuri Plisetsky, you know you are not to speak to your father this way!" he snapped back, his eyebrow twitching angrily. Behind him, his tail flicked back and forth.

"I was gone for barely a _week_ , Father, and you sent Alphas after me. Two Alphas who wanted to _mate_ me against my will! I didn't run away, I wasn't kidnapped! I wanted to help a friend!" he growled angrily, his own tail flicking back and forth.

"We were simply worried about you," Yuri's mother said softly.

"You left without saying a word to anyone!" his father snarled. His mother placed her hand gently on his arm, but Yuri's father was quick to brush her off.

"If you were worried then why the hell would you send two Alphas after me!?" Yuri snapped.

"We need to ensure you returned safely," Yuri's father stated flatly.

"Safely? Hah. Safely!" Yuri cackled. "Those two Alphas tried to mate me against my will!"

"What?" Yuri's mother gasped, and began to step forward, but his father stopped her movement.

"Did they?" he asked. "Hm. It seems I made a poor choice in who I hired."

"I'll say," Nikolai scoffed. "I told you, you were being too harsh and paranoid!"

Glaring at his own father, Yuri's father paused, and held his hand up. "Father, this doesn't involve you. Perhaps Yuri now understands he can no longer stay un-mated."

"So you'd be happy to let your son be miserable with Alphas who were willing to take him against his will?" Nikolai growled.

"I already told you, this doesn't involve you Father. What I do with my son is my business, and if he is to be the heir to our estate, he will have to be mated whether he likes it or not."

Nikolai shook his head. "I raised you myself, and yet sometimes I don't understand how you became to be such a cruel man."

Yuri's ears folded downwards, stepping in front of his grandfather. "Well maybe I don't want to be the heir to this damn estate then!" he snarled. "I don't care about this place or your money! I don't want to stay here with people who assume I've been kidnapped and send shitty Alpha's after me!"

"Yuri, you had been spending far too much time with that Soulless boy. We knew he had to have taken you. If he held you for a ransom, perhaps he could use the money to get himself whatever he needed-"

"What!?" Yuri yelled, cutting his father off. "What...sort of twisted logic is that!? You don't even know Otabek!"

Otabek was no stranger to Yuri's rage, but as his father stepped forward, Otabek felt his heart begin to pound. The man was tall, and the tensions in the room were high. He half expected Nikolai to shift down and fight his own son, but the man was really far too old to be doing something like that.

"I don't have to. He's Soulless," Yuri's father said. "I told you to stay away from him, we know what he's after."

Otabek had expected something like this to happen. Hell, he was used to stuff like this happening. People always judging him because he was Soulless. But after everything they'd been through, and how much he had come to love and adore Yuri, Otabek no longer felt he cared. If he was Soulless for the rest of his life so be it, as long as he could be with Yuri, none of it mattered.

"It doesn't-" Yuri began to speak, but Otabek stepped forward this time, stopping Yuri's sentence.

"And who are you?" Yuri's father sneered, staring at Otabek.

"My name is Otabek Altin, and I am Soulless," he said. It had been one of the first times he'd actually admitted to such a thing with such pride, to say his name in the same sentence as being Soulless.

"You brought the Soulless boy here?!" his father yelled, but Otabek stood his ground.

"Hush, darling," Yuri's mother said, her green eyes staring at Otabek.

Taking Yuri's hand, Otabek squeezed it tight. "Yuri came with me to help me find my Soul Animal. He has been nothing but incredible and supportive. I love him. I love him more than I can fully describe...I've never been great with words," Otabek continued. "But Yuri loves me. For the longest time I hated being Soulless. Everyone is just like you, they assume the worst, they think something is wrong with me, and maybe there is," Otabek laughed.

"B-Beka..." Yuri whispered. "You don't have to-"

"No, Yuri, I do. Because I want them to know, and understand how we feel. Yes I'm Soulless, and maybe one day I will get a Soul Animal. I'll find one and everything will be normal, or maybe I'll be Soulless for the rest of my life. As of right now, everything is uncertain, but I do know one thing. I love Yuri. I love your son, and nothing is going to change that. And I want to be with him, even if I can't mate him properly. We'll make our own path, carve our own way." He squeezed his hand harder. "It doesn't matter who I am, I make your son happy and he makes me happy, and we're going to be together," he declared. His dark eyes trembled with determination, and from the tight squeeze Yuri gave his hand, Otabek knew Yuri agreed with him. They were going to be together, it didn’t matter

And then, everything went completely black.

~~

It all had happened in slow motion. The way his father had spoken to Otabek, the way Otabek had spoken so strongly about his feelings, and then...now...Otabek was on the floor, his hands and fingers twitching slightly.

Yuri had felt so warm, feeling the love emanating off of Otabek, off the boy he wanted to call his mate, yet the warmth had drained from his body faster than anything had before.

"Beka!" he screamed, kneeling down to check his pulse. He was breathing, sporadically, but still breathing. "Beka what's wrong, Beka please!" he yelled, his hands curling around his shoulders. Had Otabek not been feeling well this entire time? He was so tempted to kiss him, but Otabek was gasping for air, and Yuri didn't want to steal any, nervous his precious life force would leave if Yuri stole even a bit.

"Yurochka!" Nikolai said, kneeling with him. "Don't shake him."

"What's happening!?" he said, panic rising in his chest. He turned towards his father, his green eyes glaring intensely as his ears stood up on his head. " _You_ " he hissed loudly. "What the hell did you do, Father?!"

"Please Yuri, what could I possibly have done? I didn't know the Soulless boy was planning on coming here, and I was standing right here. Don't get angry at nothing," he scoffed.

"You're one to talk," Nikolai snapped.

"You're all ones to talk," Yuri's mother sighed, stepping forward to kneel next to Otabek's trembling form. "All the Plisetsky men have tempers that could rival a forest fire. You all burn with such an indescribable anger I'll never understand. Yuri," she said gently, stroking Otabek's forehead. "Go get a cool wet cloth, I want to try and cool him down. Nikolai, please help me move him to Yuri's bed," she instructed calmly.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Yuri’s father growled, watching as she made her way to Otabek’s side.

"I’m helping the boy who loves our son," she hissed, and Yuri’s father recoiled slightly, taken off guard by how forceful she had been.

Yuri's ears folded downwards. "M-Mother," he whispered.

"Go!" she hissed. "Can't you see he's struggling?"

"R-Right," Yuri said, rushing to his feet as he dashed towards the main bathroom, grabbing a towel to soak underwater. When he returned, his mother had her arms around Otabek's neck and Nikolai was scooping him up under his side.

"You help too, dear," she said, turning to Yuri's father.

"What the hell do you mean? What are you doing? This is the Soulless boy who tried to take our son, who has been brainwashing him-"

"Dear," she hissed again, her dark tail flicking back and forth angrily. "I love you, but quite frankly you've handled all this quite poorly. This boy saved our son from horrible Alphas, and this boy just professed his everlasting love for our son. Do you really wish to leave him here on our floor?! You're a moron," she snapped. He blinked in response, only able to stare at his wife. 

Unfreezing, Yuri finally shook his head, and ran forward, helping his mother lift Otabek. He couldn't believe how quickly his mother had changed her mind. Though she had been less vocal about Otabek, he assumed she agreed with his father, as she normally did, and yet here she was, supporting him, supporting Otabek.

"Fine," his father said. "I will help you carry him, and that’s all," he grunted. Making his way forward, he leaned down to scoop up Otabek, walking towards Yuri's room, his tail swishing back and forth angrily.

For a moment, Yuri was tempted to run after him, scared he would change his mind and hurt Otabek, but from the careful way he took his steps, Yuri knew his father was being far more serious than he had expected.

It didn't take long for his father to place Otabek down in Yuri's room, though he abruptly turned out of the room, leaving them as he clearly wanted nothing to do with the situation.

However, Yuri didn't notice his father leave in a huff, as he was far too distracted staring at the boy he loved on the bed in front of him. Otabek was still knocked out, twitching. But what had caused it? He had simply been talking, so calmly as he always did. Admittedly, he had had more emotion in his voice than he normally did, but Yuri couldn't imagine that would constitute him passing out.

Taking his hand, Yuri squeezed it hard. "B-Beka..." he whispered. "What the hell is happening?"

"Mmm..." Nikolai sighed, and knelt down next to him. "I'm no elder," he muttered. "But it's possible he could be dealing with something very personal right now."

Yuri's ears perked up, looking down at Otabek. "Do you mean...a...a Soul Animal?!"

Nikolai shrugged. "Like I said, I'm no elder."

"How?" his mother whispered.

"It's...why Otabek and I left, Mother," Yuri began to explain. "We found out about another Soulless boy in another town who now has a Soul Animal and a class, we thought maybe he could help us. But he didn't...really give much insight, besides that it's some personal thing Otabek has to figure out on his own or with the help of someone very close to him," Yuri snorted.

"Isn't that you?" she said, looking at Otabek strangely twitching body.

"..." Yuri glanced away. "I...I don't know. The other boy said he received his Soul Animal after kissing his mate but...Otabek and I we..." he blushed, pausing as he realized he had no desire to tell his mother he had mated un-traditionally with Otabek.

"I see..." she hummed, stepping forward to look at the boy. "You said it's a personal thing, right?" she added. "Then...you never know what it could be," she said with a smile.

"I just want him to be okay..." he mumbled. Staring at Otabek's wincing face, he folded his ears back. He couldn't lose him, not now. Not after everything they had been through. They had finally admitted they had feelings for each other, and now...who knew what the hell was happening. "Beka you idiot! I love you! So you better be okay in there!" he yelled.

With a loud roar, Otabek began to cry out, his body twitching more. Nikolai's eyes began to widen. "Get him off of the bed!" he cried out, realizing their mistake.

Yuri gasped, lunging forward as he grabbed Otabek off the bed just in time, his body contorting and twisting into a new shape. The cries were painful, and Yuri was reminded of his own first shift, how terrifying it had been to shift into a new shape, something completely different than what he was used to.

Otabek's scent grew strong, the smell which had always comforted Yuri, wafting into his nose, stronger than ever. It was delicious, sweet, and powerful, filled with a strength Yuri had always known Otabek to have. He wanted him, he wanted to rush towards him and hug him, bury his face in the brown fur which had formed on his neck, taking in every ounce of his scent possible.

But he resisted, clenching his fists as he watched Otabek's body slowly calm down, and he smiled, when his green eyes met Otabek's familiar browns. He would've recognized those eyes anywhere.

~~

All around there was darkness, and Otabek was terrified he'd gone blind. In his grand proclamation, he'd become literally blinded by his love for Yuri. His heart sank, he could be Soulless forever if he had to be, as long as he had Yuri...as long as he could see him and touch him. Was life really this cruel to him, to take that away too?

He sucked in a long breath of air, his chest tight as he attempted to breathe.

_Otabek Altin_

A voice trickled into his ear, and he gasped. Was he dead? Had he somehow died from speaking too much? He had always known talking wasn't worth the effort.

"...Who are you?" he whispered, finding his voice.

_Normally we don't allow you to speak to us, but seeing as you've struggled, we'll allow it._

"That didn't...answer my question," he grunted. "Who are you?" he repeated

_You have had many questions. And we apologize for keeping you waiting all this long. But we feel you've finally discovered and accepted who you are, and now we can provide you with the proper companion._

Otabek blinked, trying to find the source of the voice. The only thing he could see was darkness still. Companion? Were they talking about a...Soul Animal?

_Three years ago, you were unable to hear our voices, and we could not communicate with you. Subsequently, we couldn't offer you a companion as we had no way of understanding who you truly are. We've been watching you, waiting for the moment we could know, and you could hear us, and now we know exactly what to do with you._

Exactly? They knew? It had taken this long, but finally they could speak to him...finally they could give him an Animal. Finally, he would never be Soulless again. After all this time, he finally was going to have the one thing he thought was always out of his grasp. He took a deep breath, the air loud in his ears. 

He knew he should be listening for the voice to say more, but the enormous feeling of relief that washed over his body was almost too much to handle. His legs trembled, and mixed emotions threatened to overwhelm him. Of course he was elated. He had waited for so long, he and Yuri had searched. But there was a part of him that thought there was no way this could finally be happening. And why? Why now? Was it because he had professed his love for Yuri? Perhaps a kiss hadn’t been enough. 

"But...why was I Soulless...why could I not hear your voices?!" he asked. Why him? Why had he been forced to suffer for so long?

_Sometimes...when people turn 18, they are still...lost, directionless. They need to find their own path, and sometimes that takes more work. With some people it is obvious what their values are, but for others, it takes a long time to find a true sense of self. It is not something we can easily explain. But now, you have found yourself._

In a way, he supposed the voice wasn't wrong. For years he had been with his mother, helping her with her flower shop, but he'd always done it because it was there. It had never been something he was passionate about. And even during his Soul Ritual, he'd never been particularly excited for it. He hadn't really cared what his Soul Animal would be, of course, after the fact, he had simply wished he'd gotten any animal.

But now, with Yuri, he'd found his own path, he'd made his own way, and he felt his lips curl up into a smile. As awful as being Soulless had been, Otabek didn't regret it. It was unconventional, strange, but it was his way, and he was happy. He had truly come to accept who he was, Soul Animal or not. 

"You're right," he chuckled, tucking his hands into his pocket. "I'm ready."

For so long he had waited for this moment. The moment he would have his animal, and finally belong. He could finally be with Yuri in the way he wanted, they could be mates, true mates. 

_Courageous, loyal, protective...and appreciates the sweet, small moments that others often miss._

Otabek kept his eyes close, though it didn't make much of a difference, being surrounded in so much darkness.

_We know we've made the right choice with you._

Whoever had told Otabek receiving his Soul Animal would be warm was severely mistaken. His body ached, a pain he'd never felt before, a desperate yearning he'd been missing for years. His bones cracked, and his back arched as his body began to shift for the first time. His jaw hurt as it jut forward, a roar escaping from his lips. His fingers curled in on themselves, and claws sprouted from his fingertips as the light slowly came back into his view.

~~

"Don't panic," Nikolai said calmly, petting Otabek's snout. "You've shifted for the first time and it will take a moment for you to understand how to shift back."

Otabek let out a long grunt, happy he could understand what Yuri's grandfather was saying. His eyes darted about the room until they landed on Yuri, his green eyes sparkling happily.

He sniffed at the air, immediately overtaken by Yuri's soft Omega scent, and his vision grew blurry, as he could only see Yuri. It was a scent he was so familiar with, but this time it was stronger, clearer, not muted like it normally was. Stepping forward slowly, he nuzzled Yuri's cheek with his long, nose.

"B-Beka," he whispered. "I was so worried...but we did it. _You_ did it. You've got an animal...you..." His arms wrapped around his neck, and he sighed, breathing in Otabek's scent. "My Alpha," he mumbled shyly. "Finally..."

Letting out a grunt, Otabek closed his eyes. He had to shift back, imagine his human form...imagine returning to how he normally was. Backing away from Yuri, he felt his back curl up, and his skin return to normal, as his vision refocused on his now human hands. "Y-Yura..." he whispered.

There were two small, round brown ears on the top of Otabek's head now, and behind him a small tail wagged back and forth, excited to see Yuri in front of him.

"Beka," Yuri said, tears welling in the corner of his eyes. He lunged forward wrapping his arms around him, clinging to him. "A bear...you're a bear...it suits you," he whispered.

Twitching his nose, Otabek reached his hand up and touched the soft ears on the top of his head. He didn't feel much different, his soul hadn't exactly changed, but it didn’t have to. He was so happy, so happy to have Yuri in front of him.

"Now you can really be mine," he sighed, burying his nose in his neck. "My Omega."

"And my father can't say anything!" Yuri smiled, glancing towards his mother.

"No..." she said softly, closing her eyes with a smile. "He certainly cannot."

"Not that we would've let him anyway after that speech you gave, Otabek," Nikolai chuckled.

Blushing, Otabek sat back on his heels. "I...would give it as many times as I needed to make it clear how much I love Yuri."

"I certainly wouldn't put that past you," Nikolai chuckled. "How about we give them some space?" he suggested, winking at Yuri as he ushered his mother out of the room.

Turning to each other, Yuri frowned and punched Otabek's arm. "You idiot! I was terrified you were going to die or something!"

"Sorry," Otabek mumbled. "But, it was a much better outcome," he smirked.

"Yeah, yeah!" Yuri rolled his eyes.

"I'll have to head home at some point to show my mother, she'll be so relieved," he said.

"We can go whenever you feel better," Yuri said, shrugging. "I'm not going to hold you hostage here. In fact, I want to go brag to the town about how you're not Soulless anymore! Plus having a bear isn't exactly common, maybe they'll all shut up now!" he smiled, a small giggle escaping his lips.

"I love you," Otabek said, seriously. His dark brown eyes stared into Yuri's, his hands coming up to cup his cheeks. "Next mating ritual, I'll claim you as my own. I'll mate you legitimately."

"You better, since I love you too!" Yuri snorted, his tail flicking back and forth. "I'll be in heat and I'll probably need you," he said, his green eyes glancing at Otabek's lips.

For a moment, both of them stared at each other, taking in their scents. "..." Glancing away, a blush crept onto Yuri's face. "Are you going to kiss me or not?" he mumbled.

And Otabek answered by simply pressing their lips together. Together and connected, just as they would be, for as long as they could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is BASICALLY the end of the main plot!! The final chapter is going to be an epilogue to tie a few other things up and include them ''officially" getting together. I really appreciate everyone who is sticking with me through this fic!! And I hope everyone enjoys the final little part which is definitely coming in the next few weeks! I am participating in the OtaYuri reverse bang, so I'll be working on that as well :) I'll say some final words after the epilogue is posted, but I hope everyone enjoys this chapter ^^ <3 Thank you to Adriana for beta-ing for me as always!! She made this chapter so much better omfg <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Epilogue~
> 
> This chapter is mostly smut, and some small wrap ups, if you don't want to read smut, you can skip it :)

From across the way, Otabek could see the green eyes he had come to love staring at him and only him. He felt his fingers twitch and his ears wiggle ever so slightly on top of his head. He still wasn't quite used to that feeling, but damn was he ready for Yuri to be his completely.

There was a smirk on his face, and his blond tail swished back and forth excitedly. Already Otabek could smell Yuri's scent, his swollen glands emitting a smell so sweet, Otabek was simply ravenous for him. Of course, Yuri had always smelled delicious to him, but now that he was an Alpha, it was an overwhelmingly good scent.

The mating ritual allowed for Alphas to court Omegas, but Otabek had no fears about getting the Omega he wanted. He glanced to the side, noticing a few of the wolves he'd seen in the woods a few weeks back, and it was no surprise to him they were still un-mated. Licking his lips, he huffed, a soft growl rumbling in his throat. If any of them went to touch Yuri, Otabek would destroy them. He had the power to do that now.

A few weeks had passed since Otabek had received his Soul Animal, and he wasn't quite used to it. Having the ability to shift into a bear whenever he pleased was odd. Plus, most of the townspeople no longer looked at him funny, in fact, most of them looked at him with respect, or more respect than they had in the past.

Yuri's father, though frustrated with the way Yuri had disobeyed him, had no choice but to accept their upcoming union, since Otabek wasn't Soulless anymore. Yuri's mother had been quick to yell at him, saying their son's happiness was the most important thing in their lives. Otabek could protect him and make him happy, as well as provide them with heirs if they needed. Really, Yuri's father had absolutely no reason to dislike Otabek anymore.

Otabek, however, didn't care what Yuri's father thought. There was absolutely nothing that was going to keep him from Yuri now. Hell, Otabek had to fight instincts not to mate him before the ritual. A few times they had been kissing together, his lips stroking over Yuri's skin, desperate to bite down and claim him.

But he knew he had to resist—be strong and wait for the perfect time to be with Yuri completely.

Yuri struggled with the same desires too, wanting Otabek. So many times he'd felt the telling shiver run down his spine, and he wondered if he would hit another unplanned heat before the mating ritual. Any excuse to let Otabek touch him and have him completely. It never came though, so the two of them waited patiently.

They had sent a letter to Viktor and Yuuri, thanking them for their help, announcing they would be mated during their town’s next mating ritual. The pair had written back excitedly, begging them to come back and vacation at their hotel as a couple, celebrating their union. Yuri had puffed out his cheeks, and seemed annoyed, but admitted it wasn’t a terrible idea. Otabek had found the idea to be a great way to celebrate. He wanted to thank Yuuri for his help in person. Plus relaxing with Yuri at the hotspring sounded like the perfect trip to him.

However, the best moment thus far had been seeing Otabek's mother react to his Soul Animal. The moment she had seen Otabek walking up to the porch, she'd run out to meet him, tears streaming down her face.

"A bear," she whispered, holding him close. "It's perfect. My strong boy." She smiled and nuzzled his cheek. It was a bit odd, Otabek being such a large animal, when both of his parents were smaller, but none of them were about to question it. He had received an animal finally, that was all that mattered.

"I'm so happy to be normal for you Mother," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

She shook her head, stroking his curved brown ears gently. "Oh no, darling you've always been perfect to me," she smiled. "And now you're even more perfect."

Otabek had simply hugged his mother tight, no need for any words.

She had glanced towards Yuri with a smile then, and laughed. "Now you can be with the one you love too." She gently pat Otabek's head, and cupped his cheeks, ignoring how much he was blushing.

"Mother..."

"Oh hush, we both know you've been in love with Yuri for quite some time now," she said, causing both boys to blush, glancing away from each other awkwardly. "I'll look forward to seeing you both mated after the next mating ritual. And Yuri, you are more than welcome as a part of our family."

"T-Thanks," Yuri had muttered, not wanting to admit that he too was excited to mate with Otabek.

He could only imagine what it would feel like to be connected with him in all the ways he had wanted to be during his last heat. Being so desperate was embarrassing, but Yuri didn't mind the idea of being an Omega for Otabek.

And now, here they stood, standing directly across from each other, waiting for the sun to completely set so they could begin the mating ritual. Otabek would kiss and claim Yuri in front of everyone, then take him off to a private place to be with him for as long as they wished. The night was theirs, and from then on they would share the rest of their lives together.

Against the dusk evening sky, Yuri looked as though he were glowing. His long red robes billowed around legs and arms, and his blond hair blew across his cheeks in the gentle breeze. If Yuri’s scent hadn’t been so damn overwhelming, Otabek probably would’ve been satisfied to just look at him all evening. Or perhaps if he was still Soulless that would’ve been enough. Now, as an Alpha, Otabek knew he needed more.

The moon began to rise, signaling the start of the ritual, and Otabek immediately stepped forward, ignoring the howls of some of the wolf alphas next to him. Yuri practically dashed forward, walking directly to Otabek, giving no one else a chance to even look at him.

"Yura," Otabek whispered, immediately wrapping his arms around Yuri's waist. Otabek buried his nose against Yuri's skin. This close, his scent was even more overwhelming than it had been before, and Otabek couldn't hold back. The ritual had barely even began, but Otabek let out a long growl, signaling his choice. Many of the others froze, watching as Otabek and Yuri stood close to each other. No one attempted to fight Otabek on his choice, no one even took a step in their direction.

"Beka," Yuri smiled, cupping Otabek's cheeks as he pulled their lips together. Traditionally, it was the Alpha who initiated the kiss, but Otabek couldn't complain. Neither of them had ever been very traditional, he loved it when Yuri took charge like this.

"My Omega," he whispered, nipping at Yuri's lower lip, tugging it with his teeth. "Mine." He kissed him again, this time with more force. Swiping his tongue along Yuri's bottom lip, he pushed it inside. He moved his hands from Yuri's shoulders to his hips. Though Otabek did not keep them there long, as he slid them over Yuri's ass, giving him a gentle squeeze. He was pleased by light whimper which slipped from Yuri's lips.

He knew he had to move to bite Yuri's scent glands, the next natural step in the process. This ritual wasn't only about them, and he had flicked his gaze to the side, watching a few of the Omegas move around, eager to make their own choices.

Pulling back, Otabek glanced lovingly at Yuri's now reddened face. "I love you," he said, leaning forward to nibble softly on his ear. Otabek moved his lips lower, flicking his tongue over the swollen gland on Yuri's neck. "Mine," he repeated, before biting down on the skin hard, ready to leave his mark.

Yuri gasped, his eyes shooting open and he pressed his hands against Otabek's back, clinging to his robes. He'd be fine, belonging to Otabek, and Yuri knew Otabek would never quite look at him like that, a ‘belonging’. 

Beside them, the others began to move, but Otabek couldn't focus on anything but his Omega in front of him. Yuri's breath was hot against his shoulder, and he could feel his back trembling against his hands. With the bite marked into his skin, Yuri's heat was almost in full force.

"Let's go," Otabek whispered, wrapping his fingers around Yuri's hand.

"My...my Mother prepared one of our guest houses for us," Yuri whispered, his legs shaking as he took a few steps forward, following after Otabek. They didn’t need to be here anymore, the ritual was complete.

"Perfect."

Otabek led the way, walking briskly away from the center of town. He could hear Yuri's breathing growing heavy, and soon, he probably wouldn't be able to walk his heat would be so bad. This was his third heat, but his second mating cycle where he would be un-mated, surely it would be even more painful than the last.

"Which guest house was it?" Otabek asked, seeing the Plisetsky's main red gate come into view.

"The one...near the front," Yuri panted. "On the left when you walk by the gate."

Otabek was grateful they were so close, but he stopped anyway, turning to pick Yuri up in his hands. He scooped the smaller blond into his arms and carried him, bridal style across the threshold of their property. "Tonight, Yura," he whispered, nuzzling his cheek, "you will finally be mine."

"Finally for fucks sake," Yuri snapped. "I can't take these heats anymore."

Stepping into the guest house, Otabek could see what Yuri had meant by 'prepared'. The guest house was small, but there was a large bed in the center, with a tall red canopy, curtains flowing down to the floor. Otabek's dark eyes blinked, as he tried to take in the lavish decorations on the wall, mirrors framed in gold, large portraits of people Otabek did not recognize also adorned the blue, red and gold wallpapered walls. Of course Otabek had been to Yuri's house many times at this point, but still he was in awe every time he came upon a new room.

"B-Beka!" Yuri snapped, "hurry!"

"Ah..." he muttered, and hurried over to the bed, gently laying Yuri down. On the bed, Yuri's back lay flat, his blond hair splayed out behind his head. His robed chest moved up and down, and with a moan, Otabek could see Yuri's toes curl, and his scent became overwhelming again. Otabek's pupils dilated, his desire to take his mate rising in his belly. His cock was hardening in his own robes and he hadn't even needed to touch Yuri.

It was strange for him, to accept the full Alpha side of his body—the part that wanted to claim Yuri and shove himself inside of him. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he let the feelings wash over him and away from his core. He wanted to take it slow, enjoy his time with him.

"My Yura," he smirked, placing one knee on the bed as he hovered over him. "You look so stunning," he whispered, stroking his palm over Yuri's sweaty cheek.

A hiss of air escaped Yuri's lips, and he closed his eyes, his ears falling back. He pressed his cheek against Otabek's hand, and moaned. "B-Beka..." he whimpered, and the pitch of his voice was almost enough to make Otabek's knees collapse and fall directly on Yuri.

"Are you that...needy right now?"

"You have no idea," Yuri growled, turning his face away from Otabek. His cheeks glowed red, and Otabek chuckled, turning Yuri's face back with his fingers.

"There's no reason to be embarrassed. I've seen you before. I..." he trailed off not wanting to embarrass Yuri more.

"...What?" he pouted, puffing his cheeks out.

Otabek leaned down, flicking his tongue against Yuri's ear. "I like seeing you like this."

In a split moment, Yuri's arms were around Otabek's neck, and he leaned forward, nipping at Otabek's shoulder. "Then get started," he demanded. "And when I'm ready I'll present myself to you," he whispered.

"Good," Otabek hissed, the image of Yuri presenting flashing through his mind. He rolled his hips down against Yuri, teasing him before he sat back. He lowered his hands to Yuri's waist, undoing the sash which kept his robe loosely together. Pushing off the cloth, he exposed Yuri's naked body, his hand sliding down his bare chest. Yuri's cock was hard, leaking at the tip, and he shivered, the cool air hitting his very hot body.

"My perfect mate," Otabek whispered, lowering his lips to Yuri's as he settled himself between his legs.

Yuri moaned, pressing their tongues together as drool slipped down his chin. He greedily sucked on Otabek's tongue, and slipped his hands down Otabek's neck, forcefully attempting to push his robes off. "N-Not...fair," he grumbled sloppily against Otabek's lips. "I want you to be naked too."

Chuckling, Otabek removed one arm from his sleeve and then another, shrugging the robes down past his waist. His naked chest was broader than Yuri's, and his cock stood erect, thick and already waiting to be inside of his mate. Yuri ran his hand down Otabek's skin, tracing over all his muscles. "Perfect," Yuri smirked.

"I'm glad," he snorted, flicking his tongue against Yuri's lips. Though this time, he didn't stay there. He kissed Yuri's chin, and moved lower, sucking on his neck, stopping at his scent gland. He wrapped his lips around it, and sucked on the swollen skin gently. "I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked, lapping at the small bite mark.

Yuri shook his head. "No...it felt good. Nice to be...claimed," he muttered, brushing his hand over Otabek's own glands. They had begun to swell themselves, his protective Alpha scent wrapping around them as he prepared to take his mate. "Here," Yuri said, sitting up a bit to bite down on Otabek's, leaving a small mark in the same place Otabek had left him. "Now you're mine too," he grinned.

Running his hand through Yuri's blond hair, Otabek smirked. "Indeed I am." He kissed him again, pushing him back down as he moved lower, wrapping his tongue around one of Yuri's nipples. He'd discovered, on one of their nights together, the area was actually quite sensitive and Yuri would let out a soft purr if he found just the right area.

Flicking his tongue over one of the small buds, Otabek rolled his thumb on the other, tugging it up as it hardened under his fingertips. Yuri gasped, his back arching off of the bed. Otabek loved the way Yuri's body reacted, so honest and true to what he desired. Slurping over his nipple, he swirled his tongue around, loving how pleasant Yuri's whimpers were. He was sensitive tonight, and from the way Yuri's cock twitched against his stomach, Otabek had a feeling Yuri wouldn't be lasting very long, but damn if Otabek could make this the best night of his life, he would do his very best.

Letting go of Yuri's nipple with a small pop of his lips, he rubbed both of them with his thumbs. "If you're too sensitive, be honest, Yura," he teased.

"S-Shut up, Beka! I told you...I'd present when I'm ready! J-Just keep going," he mumbled, his face turning even redder. Otabek resisted the urge to chuckle, thinking Yuri looked so damn cute with his chest heaving up and down the heavier he panted.

"Mmm," Otabek nodded, listening to Yuri's demand as he moved lower down his body. It was clear something else wanted attention, and Otabek was pleased when a moan erupted from Yuri's lips as he wrapped his hand around his cock. This wasn't their first time together, and Otabek was glad, happy to know what Yuri liked and enjoyed so he could fully please him this first time traditionally mating.

Brushing his thumb over the tip, Otabek grinned. He loved watching Yuri's hips twitch and thrust up into his hand, his toes curling into the bed sheets. "Good?" he asked, and Yuri nodded quickly, unable to verbalize any sort of response. His knuckles grew white as he curled them into the sheets.

Otabek stroked faster, his wrist curling around Yuri's length as he pumped it up and down. He began to spread his legs, clearly begging for more, and Otabek was happy to slide a finger to his pulsating hole. He grunted, realizing how wet Yuri was from his heat, a pool of slick gathering at his entrance. It was only during his heat that Yuri got so desperate, needy and wet, but Otabek didn't mind.

Pressing a finger inside, he felt Yuri immediately clench around him, and Otabek's cock twitched, desperate to replace his digit. He moaned loudly, his back arching off of the bed once more, and Otabek began to pleasure his mate faster. His strokes were quicker, his palm wet from Yuri’s pre-cum.

He added a second finger, pumping both inside of Yuri's completely slicked up ass. In and out, in and out, faster with each thrust. Of course, the moment he curled them up just right, brushing against Yuri's prostate, the blond yelped, his hips thrusting up as a shot of pre-cum now coated his chest.

"B-Beka...!" he yelled. "W-Wait!"

Otabek immediately froze, not wanting to overstimulate Yuri, which he knew could often happen during heavy heats. Panting, he tilted his head, waiting for the okay from the blond.

"I want to...present myself to you," he said, his hands trembling against Otabek's shoulders.

"R-Right..." Otabek said, nodding once as he slowly pulled his fingers out and loosened his grip, sitting back. He wrapped his hand around his own length, stroking up and down to coat himself in Yuri's slick. He wanted to be completely ready to take him, and already he could feel his cock wanting to swell and knot Yuri.

Slowly Yuri pushed himself up, his body shaking as he rolled over onto his belly. Laying flat for a moment, he scooted his knees forward, and pushed up, his ass raising in the air, as his blond tail fell to the side, his hole wide, wet and ready for Otabek to claim him. His cock hung between his legs, still hard, and dripping with pre-cum.

Otabek's eyes widened as he stared for a moment at his mate in front of him. Yuri was about to be his forever, and he could barely contain himself. Raising up on his knees, he slid his hands over Yuri's smooth ass, giving the skin a small squeeze as he positioned his cock to Yuri's hole. "Beautiful..." he said, leaning over him to kiss his shoulder as he pushed in.

Moaning, Otabek shivered against Yuri, his teeth grazing over his shoulder. He hadn't expected Yuri to be so damn hot inside. He had felt this before, but with the mixture of his Alpha desires and the slick of Yuri's heat, it took every bit of resistance Otabek had not to knot him immediately.

"Yura..." he groaned, panting heavily against his back.

"Beka...please...move," Yuri moaned, leaning his head back. Otabek could feel Yuri's hips aching to have him move as they pushed back against him ever so slightly.

Otabek took a deep breath, and pulled back, gripping Yuri's hips strongly with his hands as he began to thrust into him. His thrusts were deep and fast, and from this angle, his cock curved upwards into Yuri, pushing against all the right spots.

"Ngh...O-Otabek!" Yuri growled, his hands curling into the sheets as he pressed his cheek closer to one of the pillows, raising his ass even higher. "Deep..." he panted, drool coating the pillow beneath him. His cock flopped forward, slapping against his stomach, and pre-cum soaked the sheets below. It was a miracle he hadn't finished yet from how stimulated he felt, Otabek's cock stretching his ass the perfect amount. Yuri's heat was overwhelming, and he knew his body had been desperate to feel something like this. In fact, he couldn't wait for Otabek to knot him.

Pushing into him over and over, Otabek closed his eyes and moaned, the growl rumbling in his throat. Skin slapped against skin, and Otabek opened his eyes, watching as his thick cock disappeared into Yuri's ass over and over, his sac hitting against his bottom. Reaching around, he gripped Yuri's cock, stroking it in time with his quickening thrusts.

The two moved together, Yuri's hips slamming back against Otabek's and his breathing almost turned to hyperventilating when Otabek began to pound against his swollen prostate. His cock slid in so easily, and his deeper thrusts grew harder and faster, enough to bring Yuri over the edge.

Groaning, he tossed his head back, his tail practically standing on end. "B-Beka… I-I... C-Cumming!!" he howled, his cock spurting out onto the sheets beneath him, his wet slick ass clenched around Otabek.

His body twitched, spurts of cum flowing out in waves, and Otabek could feel his own cock beginning to swell. Finally he'd be able to knot Yuri, after all this time. "Y-Yuri," he groaned, pulling out quickly, he tightened his grip on his hips and flipped him over fast, pressing his cock deep into him once more.

"A-Ah! B-Beka!" Yuri yelped, surprised by the motion.

"I...I wanted to knot you this way," he whispered, thrusting into him fast. Kissing Yuri, Otabek's hips slowed as his knot swelled, his finish pouring into Yuri's ass. He moaned, panting heavily, and his cock stretched in Yuri's ass as he locked them in place.

Yuri winced, his eyes slamming shut and he clung to Otabek's shoulders, gripping him tight. He spread his legs wider, allowing for the shift. It was uncomfortable at first, but he waited, breathing slowly, realizing he was happy to be connected to his mate. Otabek Altin was officially his mate.

"...I wanted...to see your face," Otabek panted. He held himself up, his arms trembling as he stared down at Yuri's beautiful face. His green eyes were shimmering with pleasure, and his skin glistened with sweat, his chest moving up and down. "I love you...Yuri. My mate." Yuri Plisetsky was his, his mate forever and always.

"I love you too..." he mumbled. "I...I feel so full."

"M'sorry," Otabek grunted, slowly lowering himself down to Yuri. He pulled them together, rolling them to their side so he could gently stroke at Yuri's ear.

Wincing, Yuri adjusted himself, wrapping a leg over Otabek's waist. It gave them more space, and he sighed, kissing his lips. "Why are you apologizing, idiot? We're finally mated! I'm happy," he snorted.

"I know...I was nervous I hurt you," Otabek mumbled, kissing Yuri's forehead.

"You didn't," Yuri snorted. "I've told you before, I'm not so damn fragile."

Otabek chuckled. "I know, I know. I believe you."

"Good," Yuri yawned, nuzzling closer to him. "Can we stay like this while we sleep," he mumbled, not wanting to move away from him. He'd waited so long to officially mate with Otabek, and now that he had, Yuri didn't want to let go.

"Of course," he replied, kissing Yuri once more. It was a soft kiss, their lips caressing lazily. "I love you."

"I love you too, Beka."

They'd be stuck together for quite a bit longer, but Otabek didn't care if they were stuck together for a few more minutes, all night, or for eternity. He was with Yuri, his mate, and that was all that mattered. They had all the time in the world to do whatever they wanted. Otabek would protect Yuri and take care of him, well, as much as Yuri would let him. Yuri would be making him laugh and smile forever, Yuri...the one who had helped him find his Soul Animal. The were each other's first and best friends, and Yuri was more than happy to spend the rest of his life with Otabek.

Their bond would last a lifetime, Otabek could tell. And with Yuri, Otabek had never felt more fulfilled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so so much for following this story and for being so willing to wait for me to be slow. I'm so excited to be posting the full ending, and for providing everyone with a happy ending as well!! I hope it was to your liking!! :) 
> 
> This story was really fun to write, and it was fun to try and do something kind of different with ABO. This is my first chaptered fic for Yuri on Ice and I definitely plan to do more! I'm honestly so shocked I was able to complete it! This is currently one of my most popular fics and I'm SO SO honored and thankful! Thank you to everyone who read it, kudo, bookmarked, commented etc!!! SERIOUSLY your support means SO much, I didn't expect this fic to be as popular as it was!! And of course, a SUPER thank you to Adriana for betaing all my chapters!! I appreciate it so so much! 
> 
> I hope you guys check out my other Yuri on Ice stuff in the future :) Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> [emeraldwaves](http://emeraldwaves.tumblr.com/) is my tumblr or [musickazoo](https://twitter.com/musickazoo) is my twitter if you wanna hang out or chat and be friends :D


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